The Empty Sea
by KingofZeroX
Summary: Minato has lost everything, reduced to an empty being in a universe that's not his own. But he will regain everything. And he will return home. No Organization or Shadows will get in his way. But why, oh why, must he go through this Journey with this optimistic trio of an anthropomorphic dog, a magic casting duck, and an overly positive kid? Why can't life ever be simple? AU.
1. The Start of a New Journey

**The Empty Sea**

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**Chapter 1: The Start of a New Journey**

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_"Thinking of you, wherever you are. We pray for our sorrows to end, and hope that our hearts will blend. Now I will step forward to realize this wish. And who knows: starting a new journey may not be so hard, or maybe it has already begun. There are many worlds, and they share the same sky - one sky, one destiny." — Kairi _

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Heartless.

That was what he was now. A Shadow of his former self. No, he was not even that. He was less than a Shadow. No feeling, no emotion, no caring. But he didn't quite fit in with the rest of his kind. The rest of those that had lost their hearts. He didn't feel jealous of those with hearts or even just want to attack them on instinct. The emptiness was something familiar to him. It was like an old friend. Something he knew of well before his empty glass was filled. Filled with such wondrous, tender love, friends, and adventure. Those had been the best days of his life, despite the multiple times he nearly died. He couldn't remember those emotions very well. Or even most of the memories. Not anymore. Those days were long past, his Journey over. He had saved them all. If this was to be his fate, so be it. He could not feel regret anyways. And even if he could, he wouldn't feel it. He was sure of his path. It was something his sins had rewarded him with.

Things had been good a long time ago. He had been making progress. He had almost found a way home. He knew his path home lay within the Heartless, the strange, dark beings that could move from one world to the next instantaneously. He knew now that it was an area of research better left untouched. He had been transformed into the very being that he had experimented on so many times in the past. He hadn't even known what they were at the time. Nobody had been kind enough to tell him. And this was where it got him. A shell of a shell. It was almost funny, the irony of it. The race of Heartless he had turned into was classified as a "Shadow". It was a term the Heartless had too deeply carved into him to forget. He had seen monsters as tall as buildings and fought them, grown strong enough to wield the powers of the gods and used them to fight in a time that no one knew existed for the people who would never know their savior.

But then he had won. It was not a happy ending for everyone. It was not a happy ending for him. The hero always fought for the side of good and righteousness. The hero always wins. Always gets the girl. Always goes off into the distance to live happily ever after. The Heartless knew there was no happily ever after, but still he had tried to reach it. And, if given the opportunity, would continue to try. No matter how many years he would have to spend as a Heartless.

He wandered down the street, his small shadowy form moving nearly aimlessly, drifting from one side to another. He passed by people in the street. They did not seem surprised by his appearance or by his passiveness. He nodded in acknowledgement to them occasionally. They would nod back to him, occasionally even smiling or patting him on the head, for they knew the Heartless that never attacked. One woman would always give him cookies and milk. He was like the town pet or mascot. He was loved for his peacefulness, "cuteness" and his ability to ward off other Heartless. Not like he could feel or even understand the idea of love anymore. He tried to remember, for his memories were very vague, but the only image he could associate with love was a blond head of hair. He decided not to try to remember anymore, for it would get him nowhere. He continued to walk to the Usual Spot. A particular group of teens had taken to him. Playing with him, feeding him, hanging out with him. He didn't know why he went to them. He was Heartless. He wasn't supposed to feel anything. He was supposed to be the bad guy. The monster that attacked innocents.

He was supposed to kill and be killed, his presence forgotten an instant after its disappearance. His existence was fragile and meant to be broken, meant to be destroyed or to destroy. He was going to die a sad, pitiful death alone. But fate had other plans.

Standing in front of the entrance to the Usual Spot was an unusual man dressed in a white suit, a butterfly mask adorned his face He looked down at the short Heartless and smiled, his long ponytail hair moving slightly in the wind. The man was intimidating. He radiated an aura of power at the short Heartless. Something the Heartless had not felt from anything in recent times.

"Good day, young man. I am Philemon, a drifter between the realms of conscious and unconscious. You may have met some of my… associates in the past, though I doubt you remember them. Today, I have a very interesting offer for you. A new Journey, a new Contract. Think of it as a renewal. A chance to regain what you have lost. Most nearly everything. All you have to do is sign on the dotted line." The man spoke joyously, as if he were delivering the best news in the world. And the Heartless was inclined to believe him. The Heartless had lost many things.

He read the Contract, the parchment warming underneath his hands.

_"I, _, do hereby solemnly swear to take responsibility for my actions and to do all in my power to save this universe and all the worlds in it. I will wholeheartedly accept the consequences of my actions, be they good or bad." _

The Heartless thought it was possible and easy. He believed that he could once again gain the power to change fate. To forever save the people from that which threatens them. And during his Journey he could recover what he had lost. What could be harder than that which he fought in the past? Nothing. He had sacrificed everything already. He had nothing left to lose. He signed the contract with the warm, blue pen gifted to him by the mysterious stranger. The Heartless was very familiar with the process. He signed his name.

_'Minato Arisato.'_

It was a name he had long forsaken, instead choosing an alias for the longest period of time, though he could not remember what it was, nor why he had originally chosen to use the alias in the first place. Specifics escaped him more often than not. It was merely another part of his curse.

"Good. Now just remember this: Follow the Keyblade, and you will complete your contract and find what was once lost." He took back the contract. The masked man smiled before vanishing in a flash of light that blinded the small shadowy figure's golden eyes. The Heartless was perplexed, but dismissed quite easily. Stranger things had happened to the Heartless, even if he couldn't remember exactly what they were.

The Heartless continued into the Usual Spot. The Usual Spot was the hangout area for a certain group of teens, hidden at the end of an alleyway. Much like something else in the Heartless' past, but he could only faintly recall the memory of the blue door. Past the curtain that acted as a door, it was an area with a couch and all sorts of random junk lying around.

"Darkey!' An excited girl ran towards the Heartless and picked him up easily, like a stuffed animal, and hugged him to her chest before going back to sit in the couch, still holding him to her bosom. She nuzzled her cheek against him as if he were a pet. The Heartless did not try to escape her vice-like grip. The Heartless could almost feel her affection. He had, after all, been the one to save them from other Heartless when they had been attacked. He wasn't very strong, but had skill and smarts. The girl's name was Olette. She had bright green eyes, soft peach-colored skin, and brown hair. Her hair stuck out on the sides and two strands of hair fall from either side of her head, just long enough to drape over her shoulders. Her clothing had a "Summer" feel to it, consisting of an orange tank-top with a white floral design at the bottom, khaki-colored capri pants, and orange socks with white hems. She also wore cream, black and yellow shoes with black laces. Olette also wore a beaded, sky blue bracelet on her right wrist and a black necklace decorated with a spherical, sky blue charm. She was often tomboyish, but seemed to break that around the Heartless.

"Darkey? Is that what we're calling him now? Hey, he's not trying to break free like last time." The other voice came from one of the other teens in the room. His name was Hayner. Hayner had brown eyes, light skin, dark eyebrows, and spiky, blond hair. He wore baggy, camouflage-print capris pants, a short, sleeveless, grey vest, and a black muscle shirt decorated with a white, crudely drawn skull and crossbones. His shoes were the same camouflage pattern as his pants, but also sported white tips, grey soles, and each had two intersecting, black belts in place of laces. Hayner also wore a white necklace with a yellow "X" charm on it and a brown bracelet on his left wrist with several silver pins in it. He was the reckless leader of the group. He was really just bored and always seeking adventure. He reminded the Heartless of a ball cap wearing person in his past sometimes.

Hayner walked over to wear Olette was sitting with the Heartless in her lap, hugging him like a teddy bear. Hayner leaned forward to inspect the dark creature, apparently finding something off about its behavior. Olette turned away, protecting her "Darky".

"You're just jealous he likes me more!" Olette said in a teasing tone. Hayner grimaced. It was true. He was horribly bored in this town and as soon as something strange and mysterious comes into town and saves the day, Olette grabs him. Why was it never him that had a cool and awesome pet/friend?

"Calm down guys. Let's go get something to eat." That was Pence. Pence was a rather heavy-set boy with light skin, brown eyes, and black hair and eyebrows. Pence held his hair up using a black headband with grey lining. He wore a short-sleeved, white shirt with dark cuffs underneath a red jersey with black and white lining. He also wore blue pants, blue and white shoes with grey soles, and a purple bandana around his neck. He was the smart, nerdy friend every group needs. He seemed like someone else in the Heartless' past, though he could not remember.

"I don't have any money."

"I'm not hungry."

Olette look at Hayner incredulously. "How do you not have any money?" She asked suspiciously.

"Impulse buying." He said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders as he did so. Olette glared at him. It was a usual occurrence. Normally, Hayner would suggest something else to do after-

"We… could… do some… odd jobs… right?" A hesitant, timid voice filled the silence of the room. Everyone looked at the Heartless, flabbergasted. The Heartless himself was amazed. _"I talked? I thought I was just thinking. How did I do that?!"_

"You can talk, Darky?" Olette asked the Heartless in her grip. He nodded slowly, unsure of what the revelation made do to them. Olette squealed, hugging the Heartless even closer. The Heartless felt her warmth and the softness of "certain things" on his back.

"That's so awesome! This is like some sort of dramatic story! Take that Hayner!" Olette stuck her tongue out at Hayner, a rather juvenile action, but it got the point across. Hayner scowled.

"Are you okay?!" A guy's voice sounded as he emerged from the curtain that acted as the "door" for the Usual Spot. The boy was strange. He held a giant key in one hand and wore red and blue clothes too small for him. His brown hair stuck out in all directions. His blues eyes locked onto the Heartless and his large yellow shoes stepped back as his mouth gaped open. A large anthropomorphic dog with a shield and a large blue clad duck with a staff burst in as well. They both wore rather silly hats and seemed… cartoonish.

"That's a Heartless! He's very dangerous, miss! You don't hug Heartless! They're evil!" The boy exclaimed. The other teens scowled and glared at him. The intruder seemed to falter under the pressure.

"Who the hell do you think you are to bust into our hangout and insult one of our friends? Huh, punk? This "evil" fellow saved our lives before! Who are you to pass judgments?!" Hayner was pissed at the strange boy. The boy seemed even more surprised. He must never have met a passive Heartless ever. Nor a Heartless that saved others. That would require it to have a heart, right?

"Darkey is my friend! Don't you dare mess with him!" Olette was angry as well. The Heartless felt the warmth from her embrace and the softness of her gentle touch. Her grip wasn't just vice-like. It was protective and all-encompassing. _'She's protecting me? I'm… worth protecting?" _The Heartless was confused by the strange feeling that began to rise in his chest. It felt nice. He actually felt it. That startled him. It was warm and seemed to just… melt him with its sheer, pleasant warmth. It began to cause something to stir in him like a storm about to form. Were they emotions? Memories?

"Yeah, get away from our friend!" Pence felt he had to say something as well. _"I'm… their friend. They all accept me… was I denying it? I.. I.." _The Heartless was overcome with something that he was quite vulnerable to. Raw emotion. It was overpowering, overwhelming, overflowing. He didn't know what to do with it. The storm began to form quicker.

"Thank… you." He spoke quietly, overcome with… joy? He did not know. It was as if he was feeling for the first time. He almost cried out of joy, but he lacked a body with which to do so. The friends of the Heartless looked at him, their expressions softening before glaring even harder at the strange boy. This was their precious friend! There was no way this boy would get away with insulting him! They stuck together forever!

The strange boy was shocked. Heartless never spoke, never felt the emotion this one seemed to exude. Was this truly a Heartless? The boy had slayed many of his kind. Could they all develop into caring beings that could speak? The he remembered when he had temporarily turned into a Heartless. The boy felt sick to his stomach. Downright queasy. If that was true, he was a murderer of the worst kind, killing underdeveloped beings akin to newborns. But, he had no choice…. right? It was to save everybody. No, it was to save Kairi… who he still had to find once again, as well as Riku. Well, there was only one thing left for him to do here…

"I'm sorry! My name is Sora and this is Donald and Goofy. We heard screaming from here and thought it might be a Heartless… well, it was, but we didn't know he was good! I didn't mean to insult your friend, honestly!" The boy, Sora, seemed truly apologetic, even going so far as to bow down, as he introduced himself and his colleagues. The glares didn't even lessen a smidge. Sora seemed nervous and fidgety. Donald and Goofy seemed to be much the same.

"It's… all right guys….he apologized." The Heartless said to his friends before managing to free himself from Olette's grip ( a miracle he doubted he could repeat) and waddled over to Sora. He looked straight into Sora's eyes, his own golden ones seemingly burrowing into Sora's soul, searching for an Answer. The storm which had begun to from inside the Heartless was barely contained now, held back by a thin barrier that needed to be broken.

"Is that a Keyblade?" The Heartless asked, pointing at the large key still in Sora's grip. The trio of teens that were the Heartless' friends were perplexed as the trio of invaders seemed shocked. Sora nodded. The Heartless decided on something right then and there.

"Can I come with you on your Journey?" The Heartless asked, somehow he was more sure of himself, his speaking no longer had gaps in it. This boy would lead him to his Journey. He had to stick close to him. Hayner, Pence, and Olette seemed too shocked by his sudden request to the boy who called him evil to respond. Unless there were other Keyblade wielders…

Sora seemed shocked. A friendly Heartless that wanted to join him? He was of the weakest class too. Sora didn't know what to do, but this Heartless was kind, saving these kids. Sora felt the need to help him as well. Goofy and Donald looked at him expectantly, having not spoken the entire time. This decision could very well change everything in the future. Would Sora be willing to trust a creature that he had slayed many times before in the past?

"Yeah, sure. I don't see why not." Sora said, smiling and giving the Heartless a thumbs up. Then, as an afterthought he added, "But I'm going to have to protect you, there are a lot of stronger guys out there that could easily defeat you. No offense, but your class, the Shadow, isn't the strongest Heartless." He finished with a worried tone in his voice.

The storm in the Heartless broke through the barrier and began to fill the inside of him. And then it rained, filling the previously empty sea of the Heartless' soul. It was a tsunami of the accumulated feelings and emotions over the years he had spent as a Heartless. The Heartless laughed. It was a joyful, high-pitched sound that made one want to laugh as well, but frightened the individual. Sora raised his Keyblade nervously. What had he done? The Heartless continued to laugh. He laughed and laughed and laughed until the world froze.

Then the most wonderful thing happened.

_"Thou art I… and I am thou. Thou shalt have of blessing when thou choosest to create Persona of the Fool Arcana."_

A familiar voice brought to the surface nearly all the memories of the Heartless, before they quickly disappeared. However, he had grabbed a small portion of his memories. He finally understood what it was he had to do. He felt a fraction of his heart return to him, the sea of his soul filled slightly. He was no longer Heartless.

Time began to move forward as the familiar card of the Fool disappeared from the Heartless' vision. Bright light consumed the room, blinding everyone in it as the sound of a television being smashed resounded throughout the room. A mature voice came from the source of the white light.

"You are right and wrong, Sora. I am a Shadow. The true self. But I'm no longer a Heartless. Thanks for the Social Link. It really helped."

A blue-haired boy stepped out of the light. He was wearing a black school uniform with a red armband on one of the arms. It read S.E.E.S. in black lettering. His long blue hair covered one eye, but revealed a golden, glowing eye on the other side, the only remnant of his earlier form. He was taller than Sora, taller than even Goofy. In his right hand, he held a katana that emanated pure power. His left held a small gun. He took a step forward and bowed, bringing his left hand to his chest and keeping his right hand at his side.

"Call me… Minato. It will be a pleasure to be traveling with you on this Journey. I doubt I will be as easy to kill as you believe me to be." He spoke politely with a smile and a small head tilt.

Olette fainted.

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A/N: Nice side project for me here. I don't want to get pooped out on my other story. Thanks to Twin Judge of Gemini for the idea. Seriously, thank him. It was a good idea. I'm adapting it to fit my tastes and your guys' tastes as well. Chapters will be longer than this, but I had to get an intro out there. I'll update this when I can. If it's really popular, it will get more updates sooner. :D How will Minato change everything? Read and find out.

Now **REVIEW, FOLLOW, FAVORITE.** Pretty please with Roxas on top?


	2. Respect

**Chapter 2: Respect**

**A/N: Yay! I felt inspired! I briefly considered dropping this story. And then I found a Kingdom Hearts Script. That made it easier. I like the way this chapter turned out :)**

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_"Memories are ambiguous... Old ones can be replaced with new ones, creating a new reality." — Ryoji_

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Olette awoke to an empty room. She didn't know what to feel after she saw Darky transform into a boy, an attractive boy her age no less! And she did all those embarrassing things with him! She felt her face become hot as she mentally replaced Darky with the boy in her memories of her cuddling Darky, hugging him, and all sorts of other embarrassing things. _'No wonder he always tried to break free!'_ Olette was shocked with how much sense it made. He saved them from others of his own kind, was non-violent, and even was able to talk! Not to mention how he always left the room at the mention of homework. She continued to mentally scold herself as she got up off the couch, pulling off her blanket as she did so. _'Wait. Blanket? And I have a pillow as well? Did... that boy do it for me?'_ She blushed again as she imagined him picking her up, putting her in a bed he prepared, tucking her in and then gently kis-

_'Stop, brain!' _She quickly stopped her train of thought. Then she noticed something in the middle of the room. It was a large wooden box. She hesitantly walked towards it, growing more and more curious with each step. On top of the box sat a note. She reached toward it, bringing it close to her face so that she could read it. The handwriting was very neat and stylistic, the note itself being written in red ink. It was a single piece of paper that read:

_"In this wooden box,_

_could lie Salvation,_

_or a pile of rocks._

_If you want to follow me,_

_then learn to shoot_

_where you see._

_And when you master this weapon of demons and gods,_

_I will find you_

_even if it's against all odds._

_And together we shall fight,_

_for what is good and what is right._

_— Your Darky, Minato Arisato."_

Olette lifted the unsealed lid of the box only to find two objects and another note inside. _'This is weird...Fight? But if this the only way to find my friend, I'll do it! We stick together in Twilight Town!'_ Her resolution had nothing to do with Minato's looks. Seriously. She was very much concerned for her... relatively attractive friend. And she needed to apologize for acting like she did around him. She couldn't let the shame remain! She reached inside and pulled out the objects.

"A strange red armband and... is that a gun?!" Olette exclaimed. What the heck did this guy want her to do?! She read the note and her curiosity, and possibly even excitement, grew and grew even further. She grasped the gun tightly, her knuckles turning white from how hardly she held it. She was going to master this weapon. And then she was going to find her friend! She couldn't wait to tell Hayner and Pence! They'd be so jealous!

_"I've prepared an Evoker for you. I'd like you to lend me your strength."_

Little did she know, Hayner and Pence had received the same things she did.

And they already started training.

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Minato sighed. He did that a lot. It was bad enough he was only a Shadow of his former self and he couldn't summon Personae anymore (something he had previously attempted), but he ended up with yet another Keyblade pointed at him. And it had an even more ridiculous wielder. This time it was by a mouse dressed in a black coat. A really big cartoony mouse at that. He seemed strong, very strong (that fact that he had just defeated all the Heartless that had just tried to attack them easily was an example of his strength), but Minato knew this guy would not compare to his own complete form. Heck, Minato never even got a chance to attack the Heartless (the Evoker not working was a real time waster) and he couldn't summon a weapon either, a skill he had remembered he had. The katana he had earlier dissipated after his introduction, never to be summoned again. Minato had an internal Inventory he could pull items from. It was likely the Inventory would expand as he got more of his heart back. When he would become complete once more.

When complete, Minato would be able to destroy these pitiful Heartless without even needing a Persona. Not that he would destroy them if given a choice. He knew what the Heartless were. They were more than the manifestation of darkness in a Person's heart. They were actually the person consumed by their own darkness. They were powerless to save themselves. As a Heartless, he discovered that he could not consciously travel between worlds. He went to where he was pulled to and his world wasn't even in this universe. Their world-traveling ability was not enough. So he would heal the Heartless and allow them to become whole once more. And through that, he would regain his own heart and possibly a way home. That was his interpretation of the contract. He must save all the worlds. He looked off to the side where the rest of his party was. Sora, Donald and Goofy were just sitting there flabbergasted. Apparently they knew this mouse and the way he was acting was completely contradictory the mouse they knew.

"Hi." Minato said coldly. He glared at the mouse, righteous fury reflecting coldly in his eyes. He didn't have time for this! He needed to regain his body! The only way to do that would be to continue onward with the trio that didn't want to point a key at him right now. The mouse looked back at him, surprised. He lowered his Keyblade.

"Who or what are you?" The mouse asked in a high-pitched cartoony voice. Apparently, he wasn't expecting Minato to be around or even exist. Minato smiled. It was not a joyful smile, but one so cold it froze the hairs on the back of one's neck. The mouse seemed hesitant. Not surprising given the unnatural golden glow of Minato's eyes.

"I am a Shadow, the true self. Not one of those... Heartless you must have mistaken me for. You may call me Minato Arisato, you arrogant rodent. Next time, introduce yourself before pointing weapons at strangers, at the very least. Or else I'll make sure you can never hold that weapon ever again." With that, Minato turned around to enter the train station. _'Was I always like this? So easily... irritated?' _Minato figured it had something to do with how little of his heart he currently had. He had virtually no memories, only faintly recalling what a Persona even was. There was also that phrase about a Shadow being the true self. It just seemed like the natural thing to say. He could remember no details. He started to regret arming those kids back there. If he had no idea what he was doing, how well could they possibly fare? And then there was how he just felt on the inside. He felt raw and vulnerable, like a newborn or a snake that just shed it skin. The slightest emotion could overtake him, cause him to overreact. Then he remembered something an old man in a blue elevator told him:

_"A Persona is a facet of your personality that surfaces as you react to external stimuli... You can think of it as a mask that protects you as you brave many hardships."_

His companions seemed frozen with pure shock. Minato didn't know why. Perhaps they were expecting something different from a man that had just been threatened? Or was it the behavior of the mouse that froze them? As he walked away he heard a high-pitched voice call out.

"I'm Mickey. Gosh, I'm real sorry for threatening you like that. You just seemed... like them. I didn't mean to offend you." The mouse seemed truly apologetic. Minato turned back around to the mouse and extended his hand. He had no idea why his mood changed so suddenly, but this feeling felt so... familiar?

"Nice to meet you, Mickey. Let's just be friends, alright. You seemed like you were in a hurry earlier. You should probably get going." Minato said as he shook hands with the 2 foot tall mouse. _'Why do I get the feeling this isn't the strangest thing I've done?' _Minato mused. Mickey nodded. He ran off, stopping only to put a bag in Sora's hand and whisper something to him, unfreezing the teen at the same time, before continuing to run away to who knows where. A familiar feeling welled in Minato's chest, right where his heart would be.

_"Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Emperor Arcana."_

He remembered that he could check the progression of Social Links. And by the feeling he got from the two he had, it seemed like he only needed to get a Social Link to rank 5 to max it out. But wait... if a piece of his heart returned each time he formed a Social Link...

Where was the other half?

"Gawrsh! I can't believe you just spoke like that to King Mickey!" Goofy exclaimed, having been the next to unfreeze. Donald then unfroze as well, and started angrily quacking, or talking if it could even be called that, in a difficult to decipher manner. It was now Minato's turn to be shocked. That mouse was _king_! Since when were mice allowed to be kings?! Minato got over his shock quickly and found that he had to stifle a laugh. It looked like he would have fun on this Journey!

"So what? He's not my king. Bow to people that earn it, kids. Not because of their title." Minato shrugged as he walked to board the train. Which train he was trying to board, he did not know. But he had a hunch that _King_ Mickey told Sora, and the boy would rush up to tell him as he entered the train station.

He was right, of course.

They were going to see Yen Sid.

* * *

"He has freed himself. Naminé, are you sure about this? Letting them go with _him _could be disastrous for everybody. We don't fully understand his power." A red-haired man in spoke to a blond girl dressed in white who held a notebook. She was seated at a nearby bench. A hooded man stood beside the red-haired man. They were both wearing black. They were in the very same train station from which the four had just departed, watching the train leave. The girl, Naminé, gently shook her head. She smiled up at the red-haired man.

"He has the power to make the impossible become possible, Axel. I... want to go with him, watch how he changes the world. Perhaps, he can even create a place for us somewhere. For those of us who don't have a place. He can change everything for Nobodies, Heartless, and even the Somebodies. Sora is the hero we need to defeat evil, but this wonderful man...," Naminé stared off towards the departing train, her face flushing slightly, though she did not know why. It must be the peek she had at the memories of that person, Minato. When it was combined with the sealed memories of his Nobody, it told a beautiful story filled with love, action, adventure, and hope. She found herself rooting for the hero at the end. Axel looked confused with her sudden change in tone of voice. Naminé only trailed off like that when it was something important. Axel kept his mouth shut and waited for her response. The hooded man smiled beneath the hood. He was letting them go, of course, instead of killing them like he was ordered to. But perhaps he could tag along with this group and watch the progress of this man Naminé has so much faith in. He could change everything. That meant for darkness and light.

Naminé looked down at her notebook. Drawn on the open page was a blue-haired man who stood atop an evil tower. He had his sword raised towards the sky, his back turned to the viewer. The foe he was facing was a large green moon that hung low in the sky, threatening to crush him. Various companions stood beside him. Men, women, children, animals, and sentient technology all teamed up to fight a single foe and do the impossible. Naminé smiled, no, beamed at the hope the future brought. Nobodies and their Somebodies were not always the same. This man could make it so that they could survive without each other and have their own homes, their own lives. If there was one thing Naminé wanted, then it was to live. She wanted to be just a little bit selfish and be her own person. She was different from the other Nobodies. Almost like Roxas.

"This man is our savior. He just needs to remember that. "

* * *

"I hate you guys. I hate you guys. I hate you guys. I hate you guys. I hate you guys. I hate you guys!" Minato chanted wildly as he covered his own ears. They had a whole cabin to themselves on the train. Guess what that meant? The trio resorted to singing to pass the time. Sora was okay at singing. Goofy was... tolerable. Donald was like stabbing a knife into one's ears. But that wasn't enough to make him hate them so much. No, it was when they all started singing _together_. They looked like they were all having fun. Minato had to quote somebody from his past on this one (though he could not remember who).

"Tch."

The train was rather smooth, however, and Minato found himself nearly falling asleep. The train ride would be a long one. He reached into the jacket of his school uniform. He smiled. He still had his headphones and mp3 player. He just remembered he had them when he formed a bond with Mickey. He put his headphones over his ears and the song began to play, lulling him towards the first peaceful sleep his body had in years. His immortal body. For he had not aged a single day no matter how much time had passed. Minato blamed it on the Universe Arcana. He didn't fully understand it himself, but it was an Arcana he apparently created. It could make the impossible possible. Immortality was normally considered impossible. That was all he knew about it. His only current memories were of his time in this universe and some things from his previous one. Like the fact that the Universe Arcana existed. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the ride. His music sent him to his dreams.

_"Dreamless dorm, ticking clock,_  
_I walk away from the soundless room._

_In this night, moonlight melts,_  
_My ghostly shadow to the lukewarm gloom._

_Nightly dance of bleeding sword_  
_Reminds me that I still live._

_I will burn my dread..."_

* * *

"Welcome to the Velvet Room, Minato. It has been some time since our last chat. I wanted to tell you that I am already preparing for a way for you to return home, if you so desire by the end of your new Journey. A certain female has been wishing to see you all this time. Her contract had not yet expired, so I sent her ahead. You may encounter her on your Journey. I hope you do." The familiar voice irritated Minato. Who was this woman? Why was she talking to him? How did she know his name? Where was he?!

He looked around. He was in a blue room. The entire room was made of blue doors, each one with attached to the other and having a prominent golden Keyhole on their center. He was sitting in a blue chair. It looked like a lyre. The woman across from him wore strange blue clothing. She sat on a blue bench made of fractions of doors. She had platinum hair and golden eyes. She seemed so familiar, so important. Who was she?!

"Who are you?" The lady laughed a high, lilting laugh at his question. She smiled brightly at him. She stood and walked over to him. She leaned forward and flicked his forehead with her index finger. Her face was really close to him. It made him feel nervous. She opened his hand, which he just noticed he was clenching very tightly, and placed a blue key in his grasp.

"You know me and I know you. When you can tell me my name, perhaps you'll find this key quite useful. More useful than you could possibly imagine, my love." She smiled sweetly at him and kissed him on the cheek.

And with that the world was consumed with darkness.

* * *

"Minato! C'mon let's go see Yen Sid!" Sora's abnormally (or normal for Sora anyway) cheery voice awakened the teen from his slumber. His mp3 player had run out of battery. He took of his headphones. He'd need to either find a power outlet, or summon electricity. As of right now, neither was a feasibly option. For a second, he felt something. _'These headphones... there's something more to them. They are connected to someone from... my past.' _He shook his head, erasing the thoughts from his head. Now was not the time. He'd regain what he lost eventually. He nodded to Sora, stood up and exited the train. They were at a mysterious tower on a small island floating in space.

What?

"What's goin' on?" Donald said to the stranger who was peeing into the door of the tower. He was a big, fat guy. Certainly not in the greatest of shape. He seemed to be an anthropomorphic animal, like Goofy. Minato concluded that they must come from the same world.

"I sent some of my lackeys inside to see if the master of this here tower's as big and tough as they say. Word is, he's a real powerful sorcerer. Which would make him the perfect bodyguard for me. See, it don't matter how tough he is- once he's a Heartless, he'll do as I say!" The man-animal-thing (Minato didn't know what to call him) said excitedly without turning to face those who had just spoken to him. Minato restrained himself from attacking, but summoned an average sword into his hand. This guy was obviously an enemy. Minato decided to just stay and see what other information he might foolishly divulge. Sora, Donald, and Goofy seemed unaware that he was an enemy. The idiots.

"A Heartless?" Donald asked incredulously. The stranger chuckled. He seemed happy to be getting the attention he was receiving. He must have real insecurities. Minato sighed. This stranger was a lackey who desperately wanted to please his master. A weak one at that. Why else would he need a bodyguard? And if he was the boss, he'd go in by himself or at least not divulge all his plans to random strangers.

"That's right. They're those things that come outta the darkness in folks' hearts. Why, with all those Heartless at her side, my dear friend Maleficent is gonna conquer everything! And since I got me a debt to pay, I'm goin' 'round to a bunch of different worlds and buildin' an army of Heartless, special for her. Why am I talkin' to you pipsqueaks anyway? Go on, scram! I'm behind schedule as it is." He tried to shoo them away, his face still peering inside. Minato ran his hand through his hair. So it was going to be like this? He walked up to the stranger who was staring inside the doorway. The stranger turned around to face the approaching Minato.

"Who are you? I thought I told ya to scram!" He said angrily, only seeing the blue-haired boy. Minato grinned and in a lightning fast movement hit the fat stranger over the head with the hilt of his sword. The stranger collapsed in a heap. Minato turned towards his companions and shrugged at their shocked expressions.

"He was obviously an enemy. A weak one at that, but still an enemy. And now we know his boss' name and can interrogate him further. I'm surprised you guys didn't do it sooner. This guy was probably going to summon some Heartless as soon as he saw you. I'm going to take this guy with me to see Yen Sid." Minato sent his sword back to his internal Inventory and hefted the stranger over his right shoulder. He may be incomplete, but he was far from weak. That was one thing for sure. Donald and Goofy seemed to recognize the guy once they saw his face.

"Pete!" They exclaimed simultaneously. Minato cocked an eyebrow and turned his head to face the duo. Sora seemed confused as well.

"You know this loser?" Minato questioned. They nodded.

"Well, who is he?" Sora asked, intent on getting questions.

"Pete's been causin' trouble for ages! His Majesty banished him to another dimension a long time ago. I wonder how he escaped." Donald replied, a puzzled expression forming on his face. Minato opened the door to Yen Sid's tower with his free hand.

"Who cares? It was probably his boss, Maleficant." He said as he entered the tower, Pete still slung over his shoulder. Sora seemed content, jolly even. Goofy and Donald joined him in laughter. Minato was annoyed at their response.

"We beat Maleficant. That guy was following a lost cause. She's gone for good, Minato." Sora said. Minato turned his head to the trio who were still outside the doorway. His eyes narrowed, a scowl formed on his face.

"NEVER assume an enemy is gone for good. Sometimes they just come back more powerful." Minato turned his back towards them and started to climb the stairs. A Heartless jumped out at him from nowhere, intent on attacking his left side as he ascended the stairs. Minato stuck out his fist and destroyed it with a single punch, not stopping or checking to confirm the Heartless was defeated. Minato wondered where his reply and sudden anger came from. He couldn't understand himself sometimes. He needed more of his heart back.

"Damn thing shouldn't have jumped in the way of my fist."

"Wait for us!" The trio started following him, more solemn this time. Sora had a contemplative look on his face. What Minato said must have really made Sora think. That made Minato smile.

The less ignorant people, the better.

* * *

No more Heartless had attacked them on the way to the top of Yen Sid's tower. It seemed either Pete kept them away as a natural deterrent, or knocking him out stopped their influence in the tower. Either way, they reached the top of the tower rather easily. Sora opened the door. Seated at a desk was a wizard. A wizard? _'This is Yen Sid? Nice beard.'_ Minato mentally commented. This guy was a stereotypical wizard. It was almost laughable.

"Master Yen Sid! It's an honor!" Donald exclaimed as he and Goofy bowed to him. Sora and Minato remained standing.

"Hey there!" Sora said with a wave, greeting the old wizard rather joyfully. The wizard cocked an eyebrow at Minato, who still had Pete on his shoulder. Minato smirked.

"Yo. Brought you a present. He's a bad guy, so you can interrogate him if you want." Minato said apathetically. He dropped Pete, the large man making a loud thump as he impacted with the floor. Yen Sid smiled and nodded his head. Donald seemed upset.

"Guys! Show some respect!" He quacked at them. Minato glared at Donald.

"Respect is earned, not deserved." Minato said briskly. Yen Sid seemed pleased with his response.

"You are indeed correct. You have a good head on your shoulders, Minato." Yen Sid seemed even more pleased with Minato's reaction at his knowledge of his name. Minato cocked an eyebrow suspiciously.

"How do you know my name, Yen Sid?" Minato questioned. It was always odd when somebody you never met knew about you, especially when you were a Heartless for years.

"How do you know my name? Somebody told you. Well, let's just say a certain blue butterfly informed me of your condition. You are a person that should not be in this universe, yet you stand before me. You are a very important person, Minato. Far more important than you will most likely ever realize. Your journey with these three will be a wonderful, yet perilous one. It is my job to prepare you four, so that you may be able to face the evil in your path." Yen Sid said. Sora seemed a little upset.

"You mean...we have to go on another quest? I was looking forward to finding my friend Riku, so we could go back to the islands." Sora was not looking forward to whatever this quest entailed. It appeared he just wanted to go home already. Minato didn't blame him. He wanted to return home as well.

"Yes. I know. However, everything in your Journey, Sora, is connected. Whether you will find your way home to the islands... Whether you will return alone or with your friend... And, whether or not the islands will still be there. And the key that connects them all is you, Sora. Minato, your Journey is much the same, yet far different from Sora's."

"I'm... the key?' Sora asked. He held out his hand and his Keyblade appeared in it.

"My... Journey is different?" Minato questioned, a vexed expression on his face. Yen Sid smiled at their reactions. He waved his hand over his desk, causing a large book to appear. It spun in the air and landed at the edge of the desk, open to the group of four.

"Sora, this book contains valuable knowledge you will need for your Journey. Study it carefully. Once you have finished, we will speak of the enemies you will surely confront", He turned to Minato," Come with me. I have something for you." He said as he stood from his desk and walked towards the wall to the left of him. With a wave of his hand, a door appeared on the wall. He opened the door.

"What do you have for me?" Minato asked, growing very curious. This wizard was intriguing. He knew many things. Yen Sid looked at him, the barest hint of a contained smile showing.

"A weapon for a Shadow."

* * *

Aigis stood in an empty city. In the sky was an odd moon, it was shaped like a heart, but it was not yet complete. She picked a direction and began to walk. Minato was not in this world. According to Elizabeth, she'd be able to travel through worlds with this new piece of software. She raised her hand. A blue gate appeared and opened to her. Aigis smiled and walked towards it. Each step took her closer to her beloved.

"I'm coming, Minato. Even if I have to go through a million of these Velvet Gates."

* * *

A/N: I don't really have anything to say. Except I added in a quote at the beginning of the first chapter. I'll update M1N470 later, probably. I'm not feeling up to it right now. And Minato is awesome. 'Nuf said. I'm tired.

**REVIEW REPLY TIME!:**

**Mzr90: **Don't be so quick to judge the pairing, my friend. Twin Judge of Gemini wants Aigis. We'll see how the story pans out. I'll try to head in an Aigis-y direction, but there's no guarantee. My writing controls me, not the other way around.

**HellPwnage1337: **Personae for everyone! :D

**Blue Bragon: **...Can you read minds?

**Twin Judge of Gemini: **...True mastermind?... Whatever. And dude, the readers influence the writing. I might end up holding a poll. Or pairing Minato with Aigis and a KH2 character. You never know. Heck, I don't know. And I'm writing this! I'll try to steer it towards Aigis, though. :D

**Just a Watcher:** Now that's what I call dedication!

**HolyMage Mouto: **Minato will bop them on the heads quite a few times throughout this adventure, I assure you. He was an inch away from doing it on the train. And then he remembered music... and the batteries died. Guess what that means? He'll get his Personae eventually. But until then, he'll have to make people be shocked and awed the normal way :D

**Reader-of-Many: **Minato just can't stay away from the haremz now can he ;)

**BloodTrinity: ***Is reminded of Fairly English Story's awesomeness* Cruel and sadistic madman? Well, you'll see. No enemy has earned his fury yet. You don't want Shadow Minato's fury.

That's all, folks! I tried to answer as many reviews as I could. (The encouraging ones make me happy to read, but how can I really reply to them?)

**Question of the chapter:** What weapon do you think Yen Sid has for Minato?

**REVIEW, FAVORITE, FOLLOW. **Pretty please with Yen Sid's amazing beard on top?


	3. The Want for Feeling

**Chapter 3: The Want for Feeling**

* * *

_"There's more to a heart than just anger or hate. It's full of all kinds of feelings." — Sora_**  
**

* * *

"What the hell is that?" Minato said abruptly. Yen Sid had taken him to the next room. It was a humongous room, impossibly big. It truly was magic. However, the room was nearly empty. The walls and floor were checkered in black and white, the ceiling hung impossibly high. At the far end of the room was a singular, crystal pedestal. Atop the pedestal sat a mask. It was a plain white mask, nothing stood out about it. If one were to wear it at a masquerade, they would be easily forgotten, lost amongst those more flamboyant, yet it seemed to stand out in its plainness. The mask looked as if anyone could wear it and be someone else entirely. The mask was humble, yet seemed so full of power and emotion. Minato didn't see how it could possibly be a weapon. Maybe an accessory or armor, but a weapon? However, it felt so familiar. Like it was an important part of his past or who he was. Part of the past he had in the previous world.

"That is an object that you may be familiar with. Or not. Once, it was yours. However, it would appear that you had separated from it at some point. It is something that you yourself formed. It is the only weapon that exists that can harness your power as you are now. Wear it, and you will be able to unleash your true power for a short time. However, you should not, under any circumstances, wear it longer than 5 minutes or put it back on immediately after taking it off. There will be dire consequences. I warn you. This mask is tempting. It wants you to wear it. However, you cannot fully withstand its power as a Shadow. Unfortunately, it is the only weapon I can give you." Yen Sid said grimly. Minato walked across the room towards it. Yen Sid's grim warning was playing in his head as he neared it. Minato was certain he could handle a mask of all things. _'How bad could it be?'_ As he neared it, he heard quiet whispers coming from it. The voices sounded so familiar. As he drew nearer, the voices grew louder and louder until he could finally make out what they were saying.

_"I mean, that's what best friends do, right?"_

_"Not like you, Minato-san... You're such a great person, and you make those around you happy too..."_

_"I've been looking down on people. But, you've taught me an important lesson. I don't think I'll ever compare to you, though."_

_"You helped me find my true calling, Minato-kun... I'm so glad we met."_

_"Anyway, stop hanging around middle-aged men like me and find what truly makes you happy."_

_"Mitsuko is the one who suggested we give it to you, Minato-chan."_

_"I can't keep asking for your help all the time...but I do want to thank you for the help you've given me so far."_

_"gg, tatsu. thx 4 everything."_

_"If you ever need an emergency operation, I'll perform the surgery. I won't let anything happen to you while I'm alive..."_

_"If I hadn't met you, I'd never have seen my family ever again. I owe ya, kid..."_

_"Keep this, okay? I... made it just for you... 'Cause one day we'll be trading vows, right?"_

_"Wait for my return, Minato-sama. My favorite memories from Nihon... are all ze times we hung out togezer."_

_"So, next time we meet, I can still be proud of myself...Thanks, Minato."_

_"Thank you, Minato... I really owe you one."_

_"Thank you for everything... Coming to see me, talking... even discussing the meaning of life... I... I can be glad that I was born..."_

_"Even if today is the end, the bond between us can never be severed."_

_"I-I'm only going to say this once, okay?... Minato-kun... I love you."_

_"I want to be true to myself when I'm with you, Minato-kun, so... I want you to know everything about me."_

_"Your name is special to me. If I was in danger, it would be the first thing I would scream out."_

_"My connection to you is my reason for living... The thing that's most precious for me... is to be at your side."_

These were the voices Minato heard, the voices that escaped the mask and went towards him, hammering the small part of his heart he held with every word. Each one held another endearing message, thanking him, proclaiming love for him or saying they would always stand by him. His legs began to shake and wobble under the weight of the pure emotion. He was already very vulnerable to emotion, so the effect of their words hitting him was only amplified by his current state. When he reached the pedestal, tears were streaming down his face. '_I want to know! I want to know who they are! Their voices! Why do they have so much love in their voices?! Why am I important to them?! I'll... I'll... just put the mask on... right?' _Minato grabbed the mask and raised it to his face. He felt a desire greater than anything he'd ever felt before. These voices... they were part of his heart, right? He could put it on... It was his heart... his heart... heart! He needed to get it back! A hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned to face Yen Sid, a broken smile adorning his face as tears streamed from his eyes. Minato was quivering, shaking. Yen Sid shook his head. Minato fell to his knees and clutched his head as he continued to cry. The mask fell to the ground, its clattering and Minato's wracking sobs being the only sounds in the room.

"W-who are they? Why... why do they care so much? How do they know me? Damn it! Get a hold of yourself, Minato! I... can't stop crying... I want to know..." Minato said as he tried to wipe the tears from his eyes. The voices had lessened to the point where he could barely hear them. Minato felt a burning desire to hear them once more. Their love... was like an addiction. He needed it... he needed it so badly... it made him feel whole... It shook him from the very core of his existence. He knew he was vulnerable to emotions, but was it really this bad? Was he really this easily shaken to _this_ extent?

"They are your unbreakable bonds. Parts of your past that you can never be severed from. Each one of those voices is a different person whose life you changed drastically for the better in the past. You gave them joy. You gave them hope. You offered a helping hand when no one else could be bothered to. Wearing this mask will connect you deeply to those people temporarily, allowing you to be whole again for a limited amount of time. Wear it too long in your current state, and you will be overwhelmed and consumed by your own bonds. It is a tempting power. Wear it only in emergencies." Yen Sid then scooped up the mask, handed it to Minato, and began to walk towards the door. Minato followed, all the while resisting the urge to put the mask on, to feel what's it like to be whole once more. The tears soon stopped once he left the room.

* * *

"Your past endeavors did prevent an immense effusion of Heartless from the great darkness; make no mistake about that. However, the Heartless are darkness made real-and darkness lingers yet in every heart. The Heartless are fewer. But while darkness exists in a single heart, it will be difficult to eliminate them."

Yen Sid was talking to them. Minato couldn't concentrate. He vaguely heard mention of Nobodies, the empty shell of a person left behind when they become a Heartless, and then Yen Sid sent Sora to get new clothes. The boy needed them pretty badly. Minato was shaken by what had just happened. Those voices... He had the mask in his hands. It was so... unremarkable, yet so beautiful. He gently caressed it. It felt warm to the touch. For a split second, when he heard the voices, he felt his heart, just out of it reach. It was terrifying. It was terrifying just how much he wanted it. He would do anything for it. Even kill his best friend. That was what he had felt like when he almost put the mask on. Minato didn't want to feel that way. He didn't want to feel such a desperate need. He wanted his heart back, yes, but if getting his heart back meant someone else, someone he cared for, would have to die, he'd leave his heart behind. He didn't want to bring sorrow into the world with his selfish actions. There was already more than enough. That much he knew for sure. He was a living example of the sorrow that existed, the sorrow that existed when one had no heart.

"Feelings are powerful. That is something that few can ever truly understand. It is good that you have learned this lesson early, Minato." Yen Sid spoke to Minato in what he assumed was a sympathetic tone. Minato didn't feel relieved by those words. Perhaps he should have just stayed a Heartless? Then he'd never have to deal with these... feelings. They burdened his mind and controlled his actions. Were feelings a good thing after all? And this old man put him in a position that he made him feel so strongly that he cried. He didn't like crying. Minato was also confused by his own feelings and conflicted about inevitably getting his heart back. He didn't like feeling confused or conflicted either.

"Shut up, old man." _'Damn stereotypical wizard character. Talking about the power of feelings. I know that already.' _Minato wasn't in a good mood. Not at all. Yen Sid looked to be quite irritated at Minato's remark, but Minato didn't care. Minato was quite pissed off. However, there had been mention something that cheered Minato up a bit in Yen Sid's really long explanation. Organization XIII, an evil organization of Nobodies. That meant that there were a whole lot of asses that needed kicking. Minato really needed the stress relief.

"Auuugh... Hey! What happened to me? Where am I?" Oh, Pete was awake. It was a good thing Yen Sid cast some paralyzing magic on him before he began to speak to them. Yen Sid was about to no doubt speak to the fat whatever-the-heck-he-is, but Minato beat him to the punch as he stood up, placed the mask inside his internal Inventory, and pounded his fist into his open palm. He may not want to bring more sorrow into the world, but he meant that for _innocent _people. He could afford to have some fun at the expense of a bad guy.

"Interrogation ti~me!"

* * *

"Hey! What are you doi— AAAAAAAAAUUUGH!"

The screams that Sora, Donald and Goofy heard from the next room destroyed the happy atmosphere that Sora's new clothes had seemed to create. Merryweather, Fauna, and Flora (the three that made Sora's new clothes) were frozen with looks of horror on their faces. Pete was obviously suffering profusely. Yen Sid seemed to be doing nothing to help Pete. In fact, Yen Sid might even be joining in for all they knew. Minato, given the fact they had managed to overhear his voice prior to the screaming, was most likely the one interrogating Pete. Sora, Donald and Goofy each couldn't help but wonder...

_'What exactly did we do by bringing this guy along?!'_

* * *

"Tell us what we want to know or I'll be forced to do it again. And I'll take great pleasure from it."

Minato stood back and waited for Pete to give over the information about his boss. When he refused to talk, Minato kicked him in the balls. Pete somehow managed to live through that without saying anything. Minato was about to kick him again when Yen Sid held a hand up, telling him to stop. Minato reluctantly obliged, moving out of the way for Yen Sid. He walked over to Pete and placed a hand on Pete's head. Pete's eyes closed and he began to breathe slowly. In an instant, Pete had gone from frantic and in pain, to deep asleep. A few seconds later, Yen Sid removed his hand and turned to Minato, an unusual smug look on his face.

"It seems he is merely a lackey, just as I thought. I am now certain he was not even informed of Maleficent's defeat. He had been working on one of the outer worlds at the time. Also, he is quite enraged at you and plotting several plans, all of which won't work when looked at from a rational perspective, to kill you." Yen Sid spoke calmly, as if what he did was just the most normal things in the world. Yen Sid had read Pete's mind. Minato was in awe. Yeah, he'd seen some incredible things, but _mind reading?! _Why couldn't Minato do that? It would make things so much easier in the long run.

"What the fu-"

"I am a renowned sorcerer, a master of magic, and second to none, _boy_. Not some measly 'old man' or 'stereotypical wizard'. It would be proper if you were to treat me as such, or else I will just take back that mask I so kindly gave to you. In addition, I did not read his mind, but his _heart _instead. I am an expert in such things after all." Minato still was in awe. Yen Sid had read his mind without even using any hands!

"How did you-"

"I merely guessed what you were thinking. You are a very predictable child. And yes, you are a child. Unless, of course, you are insinuating you are as old as or older than I am. Which you are not. I guessed those thoughts as well." Yen Sid blew Minato's mind once more. Well, more like read it, blew it up, and then read the rest splattered on the wall. Either way, Minato made sure to note not make an enemy of this guy. Minato had to admit this guy is awesome and not just your stereotypical wizard. This wizard earned his respect. And his fear. If Yen Sid had something as powerful as Minato's mask lying around, who's to say he doesn't have other, more powerful items. Also, Yen Sid could read minds. At that moment, Sora peered out into the room.

"Is... everything okay?" He asked cautiously. Minato looked at Sora dumbly. He literally looked as if his mind had been actually blown.

"Dude... This guy is amazing. Do not piss him off. I'm serious. He'll screw your mind over a million times. Also, I just realized," Minato turned to Yen Sid," You just knocked him out! I needed the stress relief! Damn it!" Yen Sid smirked smugly slightly. Sora didn't quite know how to respond to that. So... he decided to talk about his new clothes.

"I have a new outfit. Doesn't it look awesome?" Minato gave Sora a blank stare in response. Sora smiled, hoping for a response that made sense. Minato smiled a bit.

"Yes. However, that is mainly because they now fit. Your small clothes had been rather... unnerving and a bit gay. Not that there's anything wrong with your personal sexual preferences, but at least now you look your age." Minato said plainly.

Sora didn't quite know how to respond to that either, but he felt a small part of him die inside.

* * *

"So... Yen Sid gave us a Gummi Ship... that flies to other worlds... with chipmunks as engineers?" Minato seemed to find the situation a little bit difficult to grasp. Goofy nodded happily, a bright, stupid smile on his face.

"Yep!"

...

...

...

"I have to admit, that's rather cool."

* * *

On the map, there was only a single location unlocked. It was Hollow Bastion. Twilight Town seemed to have disappeared. Minato took notice of this. This meant that any Social Links he formed could possibly disappear if he wasn't careful. He'd have to max the Social Link before moving on to the next world.

"Only one?!" Sora asked, surprised by the lack of other worlds on the map.

"Well, let's go to it. There has to be a reason why there's only one." Minato said plainly. _'Honestly, these guys are idiots. Yen Sid obviously had a reason for doing it like this.'_

"Yeah, let's go!" Donald chirped in reply. They drove towards the new world. Minato put his headphones on. Then he remembered they were out of battery. He was going to have to listen to their singing the whole way. The singing started up. It sounded joyful and happy, as if they were thrilled to go on their adventure. Minato hated the joy. He'd just had an emotional breakdown back at Yen Sid's tower and had his only method of stress relief pulled from him. If this persisted, he would need another way of relieving stress.

"Damn it," Minato said. He turned to them and summoned one of the only weapons he had. The weapons he had, there were currently two, were seemingly random and had little to no relation to the other. This one was a rusted, steel pipe. He looked at the singing trio with a dark smile. "If I hear you morons sing on this flight anymore, then I will show the true meaning of fear." The trio seemed to think he was joking, or just didn't hear him, so he promptly went to work relieving his stress. The steel pipe wouldn't kill them, right? Just in case, he would use less strength than usual.

"OW!"

"OUCH!"

"SAAWVWUOGFAUVWBlqeLUEWKJABHA LS!"

The last one to be hit was Donald. His reaction was the funniest.

* * *

Elsewhere, a darkened form laughed at her return. She was...

Maleficent.

And nobody really cared. After all, it wasn't like she could contact Pete. She only had her Heartless as companions.

The Heartless didn't miss her.

* * *

Hollow Bastion was a medieval looking town. There were stone buildings, cobblestone roads, and, well, just people going about their daily lives. Minato parted ways with the trio here. He wanted to find out more about this strange new world. He used his steel pipe to bat away any Heartless that tried to attack him. For the most part, however, none attacked him. They seemed to completely ignore his presence. It seemed that although Minato was no longer a Heartless, he had such a small fraction of his heart that it didn't matter. They weren't hungry for an incomplete heart. Thus, he strolled through the town easily. Sora was going to see some old friends of his. Minato didn't really care. If Social Links restored his heart unto him, then he just had to search for a possible Social Link. But how was he supposed to do that? Would Social Links just run into him? Nah, that was impossible.

Minato was walking around the corner as he contemplated that. Then something suddenly collided with him. He fell to the ground. The thing, no, the person that had collided with him was laying on top of him. It was a girl about his age. She was straddling him in. Minato felt... like this wasn't the most awkward thing to happen to him before. She lifted her head up and gave an embarrassed smile. She had a rather "cute" face, and short black hair. She had a black headband with white trim on. Her weight on Minato's chest felt oddly... comforting. Minato tried to ignore the feeling. Feelings were powerful.

"Sorry! I was in a hurry to get somewhere..." She trailed off, still straddling him. A blank look came over her eyes and her smile seemed to vanish. She moved her head closer to his. Minato stared at her for a second, not sure how to respond to this new set of circumstances. _'What the hell? How did I get into this situation?'_

"Aren't you going to get of-"

"Your eyes are... really pretty... they're almost like... Command Materia..."

"Excuse me?" Minato asked incredulously. This girl was very strange. She shook her head, as if she was shaking off some spell and got off him. She stood up, dusted off her black clothes and offered Minato a hand. Minato refused it, choosing to stand up on his own two feet. The weird girl didn't seem affected by his refusal at all. In fact, she seemed to approve of the action almost. She smiled at him once more.

"I'm the Great Ninja Yuffie! Sorry for bumping into you like that. I never bump into anybody usually. I don't know where my head is today! Hahaha!" She was trying to laugh it off while scratching the back of her head, a sign of embarrassment. Minato sighed. He just encountered another weirdo. This time it was a weird ninja girl. Was this his fate? Whatever happened to normal people? Oh... wait... he was one of these weirdos. The revelation stung him deeply. Did this mean he was a social outcast as well?! Well, he was a Shadow. Damn.

"My name is Minato Arisato, you silly cosplayer. Now would you mind telling me where you are going in such a rush that you just find it okay to run over people? If you are going to the hospital, I understand, but if it is something like the release of a new manga or something then I'll be very, very angry."

"Minato Arisato... Minato Arisato... Minato Arisato..." She chanted his name, as if she was trying to commit it to memory. After a few more chants, she shook her head, obviously satisfied with the result. With that odd ritual done, she extended her hand to Minato. _'Should I really just shake the hand of some random person I've ever met before? Well, she seems harmless.' _Minato reluctantly shook her hand. He could at least afford to show her how a polite person is supposed to act.

"Pleased to meet you, Minato Arisato!" She chirped happily.

"Pleased to meet you as well, Yuffie." He replied dryly. She eagerly shook his hand. Her grip was very strong, like that of someone who saw battle many times before. It was a strangely familiar handshake. Minato felt slightly interested in this girl now. She wasn't the average girl, yes, but perhaps she actually was a ninja capable of combat... So much for his categorization of her as "harmless".

_"Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Chariot Arcana."_

So that's how it was? He just literally had his Social Link _run_ into him! Was that how it was going to be? Since this Social Link was native to this world, he would most likely have to max her link before moving on to the next world, in case he can't return to this world. Oh joy. It looks like he just met his next best friend for the time being.

"Yuffie! We finally caught up with you!"

Minato turned to see Sora, Goofy, and Donald there, out of breath. Apparently, they had been following Yuffie. Sora smiled brightly when he saw Minato, though seemed confused when he noticed something else. Donald was smiling slyly. Minato looked at his hand. She hadn't let go of his hand yet. Minato felt the barest hint of heat rising to his cheeks.

"Why are you still holding my ha-"

"You know Sora? When did you two meet?" Minato gave her a blank stare. She smirked right at him.

Damn. It looked like this person was very energetic _and_ mischievous. She was cutting him off for fun! This Social Link would be a very tiresome one, that's for certain.

* * *

In another world, Aigis was continuing her search for her beloved. It was a world that was seemingly based on the _One Thousand and One Nights. _Each of these worlds seemed to have some sort of theme to correlate with them. It was odd. Was this entire universe theme based? If so, what was the theme of the first world? Aigis shook her head as she opened the next Velvet Gate. Minato wasn't here either. Then, in the very center of her soul, she felt as if something tragic occurred.

"It seems a rival has appeared."

* * *

A/N: Bit of a shorter chapter than I was going to write, but it was either that or wait for inspiration to come hit me with a hammer. In like a week. So, here ya go! Now I need to get back to finishing that next chapter of M1N470... I'm almost there! Also, who predicted the weapon? Nobody? Ha! At least this isn't like my other fics... where people keep guessing things right and then I have to refuse to give spoilers...

**Review Reply Time!:**

**HolyMage Mouto:** Thanatos is Nyx's son, but I can have him punch Hades anyway :3

**Mzr90: **There will be... competition... for Minato's heart! (lol get it cuz like he has no heart roflcopter bad pun)

**Just A Watcher: **Sorry to keep you waiting once again! Life is busy and I've got three other fics and low inspiration. That about sums it up.

**Redgene2009:** Saw the error, fixed it, and now the world is happy again :D And you shall see... COMPETITION!

**Yuuji Narukami: **Kingdom Hearts is awesome. Add Minato in it and it gets better. :D

**DemonRaily:** Don't worry, I like Elizabeth and Aigis too much to not have them together for Minato ;)

**Venas:** Koromaru? I'll think of something. If he manages to somehow fit in, then you may be seeing him :) As for when Aigis meets Minato... it won't be for a while... but it should be hilarious if the plan I have laid out works... As for any other characters, I don't think any will fit in this setting. However, I might throw one in during a fit of creativity so I don't know.

**13TheAce:** He is not stronger, but incredibly weaker. However, he does not have a true "body" seeing as he is a Shadow and is thus does not have the limitations of the human body. So carrying Pete is easy for him. Also, Minato does indeed have a Nobody. And it plays a very large role. I'm being very vague, aren't I? ;)

** .27:** Keyblade requires a complete heart. Although he... NO! I refuse to give spoilers! This weapon he has now will make him extremely badass. I can't wait to show you guys!

**Stupei:** Is that Junpei? Or Yukari? I don't know if Junpei has enough self-confidence to call himself Stupei, but Yukari would put Stupei just for laughs... , thanks for reviewing!

**Question of the Chapter:** Trivia Time! How many times was the word "Minato" used in this chapter (and A/N as well)?

Minato: That's it? You can't think of a better question? Unbelievable. I'm going back to my trailer.

What do you mean?! You were just in there for over a month!

Minato: It has T.V. and a mini fridge.

... I'm coming with you.

**REVIEW, FAVORITE, FOLLOW!** Pretty please with Yuffie on top? Which... well... she was.


	4. The Chariot Part 1

**Chapter 4: The Chariot Part 1**

* * *

"_The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... One of life's greatest blessings is the freedom to pursue one's goals._"—Nyx Avatar

* * *

Minato was in the building of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee. The committee consisted of an older, blond-haired man, Yuffie, a brown-haired woman in a dress, and a brown-haired guy. Minato didn't know why, but Yuffie was keeping close to him. Did it have something to do with his eyes? She seemed to zone out when their eyes met. Did she notice he was not fully human and was watching him, waiting for the opportunity to attack? He assumed that these people would just notice his human form and wouldn't attack him unprovoked. However, he could be wrong. After all, there was no guarantee she would not attack him. Yen Sid was far too wise to just attack him because he wasn't fully human. Sora, Donald, and Goofy were all trusting and innocent, but they saw him in his previous form and they saw his friends stand up for him. Otherwise, they would have killed him like any other Heartless. Minato thought of his friends once again. Was it the right thing to do, dragging them into this and out of their daily lives? They wanted to help him, though, Hayner and Pence made that much clear, and they all had the Potential, even Olette. Still... he felt like it was a mistake to give them his spare Evokers and then leave. He should have stayed and supervised them. The last thing he wanted was to return to Twilight Town and find them all in pieces. He wasn't sure how they'd blow themselves up, but... he still worried.

The building Minato was in was the house of somebody named Merlin. It was really just a large cottage. The only thing that looked remotely like a headquarters was the large computer on one wall. Minato couldn't help but sigh. For a committee that was formed around the idea of restoring an entire world, they looked like few people followed them or even supported them enough to get them a bigger headquarters. Minato chalked it up to the lack of public interest found in any society. Minato leaned against the wall and began to drift off. The other members of the committee recognized Sora and began to talk to him. While they did mention some strange things, such as suddenly remembering him, nothing caught his interest. Also, he was a bit sleepy.

Then he felt the wall vibrate a bit from the impact of someone else leaning against. Minato opened one eye to see it was Yuffie. She was right next to him. She waved happily. He simply closed his eye. She was suspiciously close to him at all times, as if she was waiting him to make a move or mess up. He knew she was his Social Link, but... that didn't mean she didn't bother him. Just that he could put up with more crap from her than usual. However, Social Links could still attack one another... The thought that he was just being paranoid never occurred to him.

"Sora, who's your friend? He seems rather... odd. He's different from your normal company you usually keep." The brown-haired man said that. He sounded suspicious. His name was Leon. That much he had gathered when Sora had exclaimed his name. He had a diagonal scar on his forehead and wore what appeared to be stylish clothing. It looked far more expensive and fancy than Minato's school uniform. He seemed to be the leader type. Minato didn't like him. He didn't like most of the people in this world. Especially those odd floating creatures he had seen earlier. What were they called? Moodles? Who would ever name something that? It sounded like noodles for cows. Cows didn't eat noodles. It just wasn't right. They had horrible problems eating _corn_. Noodles would destroy their bowel movements... Why was Minato remembering such random facts?

"He's... uh..." Sora didn't seem quite sure how to answer that question. Minato decided to help him out in the only way he could.

"My name is Minato Arisato. If you want any more information, then I recommend you promptly bend over and shove your questions up your ass because I am not doing it for you. I'm too tired right now. It's very exhausting being odd." Minato replied. It came off quite rude and that was what Minato intended. If he could break this Social Link, then he could probably form another with somebody else. Yuffie seemed to be friends with this Leon person and he hoped insulting him could indirectly offend her. There are many worlds out there after all. Who is to say there isn't another Chariot Link out there? Perhaps he could get one that wasn't a girl. Then he wouldn't have to deal with... complicated things.

Sora and the brunette woman were appalled by his response. Goofy didn't quite seem to understand what exactly Minato said. Donald did understand, but he just sighed. There was no point in trying to correct Minato. Leon seemed surprised. He hadn't expected such a response from one of Sora's friends. The boy was always happy and bubbly. Leon couldn't seem him making friends with anyone like this 'Minato Arisato'. However, Sora was very caring and could easily be taken advantage of. This Minato seemed to be just the guy to do it as well. Leon didn't like this Minato fellow.

"Hahaha! I like this kid! I'm Cid. Pleasure to meet ya'!" The blond man that was sitting in the computer chair stood, laughed, and extended his hand to Minato. When Minato reached across and shook his hand. He was surprised when the man's grip seemed stronger than his did. They broke apart the handshake. Minato rubbed his hand slowly. It hurt.

"Kid, you remind me of how I was in my youth. I took shit from nobody. You got a bit of Leon in you too. Kid was always a bit of a loner in his past. Always brooding too. Now he's all smiles; he even seems like a real leader at times. Nevertheless, he had his reasons for being like that and I doubt he'll tell anybody that doesn't already know. I reckon you're the same. Though I gotta say, I kinda want to know your story, kid. But I don't feel like bending over right now. I'm a bit too old." He gave Minato a sly smile. Minato actually rather liked this guy. He had personality and respected Minato's privacy.

"See, he's interesting! Those golden eyes are so mysterious. Makes you want to see what's behind them, right?" Yuffie chirped happily. Minato frowned.

"Yuffie, I swear that if you get anywhere near my eyes with anything sharp, I will knock you into next week." Minato replied, taking her words far too literally. She was a self-proclaimed ninja after all. Who knew what kind of knives or ninja stars she had at home? Minato was quite proud of his eyes. The way they glowed just seemed to add to his 'badass' factor. Everybody took him seriously with them! Except for this annoying girl... Yuffie pouted.

"I didn't mean it like that, dummy."

"Did you just use the word dummy? I'm insulted."

"Yep! Just think of it as a term of endearment and it's a lot less insulting."

"What do you mean term of endearment? We just met ten minutes ago!"

"So what? Do I have to know somebody for a long time to use a term of endearment?"

"Well, it typically means you're close to someone."

"I'm close to you right now. See, we're even leaning on the same wall!"

"Will you two lovebirds get back to the topic at hand?" Leon said with an irritated sigh. Yuffie seemed to smirk at being called that. Minato quickly moved to another wall to lean on. He had to get away from that girl. He didn't want to be paired up with her. He didn't even know why she was bothering him so much. What about him was so interesting? Yes, he was a Shadow, but it still made no sense why she seemed to... like him? Was that it? Why?

"What do you mean by 'lovebirds'? We only just met!" Minato shouted, outraged and, perhaps, a bit embarrassed. Everybody else seemed to sigh. They were getting nowhere fast. They were supposed to be talking about the rampant Heartless and the Nobodies appearing in Hollow Bastion. Yuffie decided to chime in.

"'Twas love at first sight! His golden eyes twinkled with such kindness, much like the objects I sought in my past! I knew it was destined to be from that moment on!" She proclaimed dramatically.

Minato face palmed so loudly he swore that somebody in another world heard it.

"Would you shut the hell up?!" He shouted, louder than he had intended too. He felt... embarrassed? He didn't want to deal with this link. He could just as easily find a new one, right? Yuffie seemed to take his words to heart and silenced herself.

"You know what? Just... meet me at the bailey, Sora. There's something you need to see." With those words, Leon left. Sora, Donald, and Goofy went forward to talk to Cid and the brunette woman. Minato and Yuffie were silent and still for a little bit. Minato closed his eyes once again. Perhaps he could finally get some rest. Yuffie pulled on Minato's sleeve. He opened his eyes and glared at her. He didn't want to be bothered by this girl. She seemed to shrivel a bit under his glare.

"Hey, Minato. Can I... talk to you? Alone?" She seemed rather nervous, completely opposite to what she was earlier. It was strange, but Minato felt that this conversation was an opportunity he couldn't pass up. His attempts at breaking the Social Link didn't seem to work. He just accepted he'd need to level it and then leave. There was no point in being angry with her. In fact, the way she seemed to wither when he glared at her... made him feel... bad? Was that what it was? He decided he could, at the very least, hear her out. Minato gave a tired nod and followed her out of the building as a puff of smoke appeared behind him. Indicating that Merlin had just appeared. But Minato didn't know that. He was too busy being dragged elsewhere.

* * *

"Erm... I'm... um... sorry. I kind of got a little ahead of myself back there. You're right, of course. We do barely know each other. I was just sorta trying to cheer you up." She said remorsefully. The two were in a small house. It was Yuffie's. There were ninja stars and other sorts of gear lying around. She didn't seem to be the tidiest person, that's for sure. Well, Minato had at least confirmed that she had plenty of sharp objects at home simply lying around. Minato cocked an eyebrow suspiciously at her words. Cheer him up? Where did that come from? Did he need cheering up? And since when was it her responsibility to cheer him up?

"Cid was right when he said you resembled Squa-, I mean Leon in the past. You remind me a lot of him. You have the same look in your eyes that he did. He was a lot quieter and always brooding in the past. He... lost a lot and blames himself for it. He still doesn't even use his real name. And he won't until our home world is restored. I don't know what you lost or what happened to you, but... You aren't very happy, are you? Have you even smiled once since you came here?" Minato tried to think of the last occasion when he had been truly happy. He couldn't really think of any. So far he'd regained a portion of his heart back, given his friends instructions on how to use powers that they could easily kill themselves with, been interrogated by an armed mouse, annoyed by singing idiots, overcome with emotion until he couldn't handle it anymore and nearly broke, and then had to deal with all the crap in this world. Well, he had been happy shortly before becoming his current form, but it was short lived and crushed beneath future events. Why was he so unhappy? He should be ecstatic! He was on his way to getting back his memories and his original body! Maybe... maybe being a Shadow just meant that you were unhappy. Was it because he wasn't whole that he couldn't seem to smile? Or was it the fact that he felt like the majority of his life was missing from his memory? Minato didn't know.

"No... I... haven't." He couldn't think of anything else to say. It was true. Yuffie sighed.

"You know what this means, right?" Minato was confused.

"What does it mean?" He asked, actually interested in her answer. What did this mean to her?

Yuffie smiled. For some odd reason, Minato didn't seem to find her as annoying anymore.

"It means I'm going to have to teach you how to smile again!" She exclaimed happily.

_"Thou art I... And I am thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Chariot_ _Arcana."_

The rank of the link had just increased.

"Why do you feel the need to help me be happy?" Minato asked, confused by her involvement in everything. Why did she feel the need to barge into his life? So far, he hadn't even so much as treated her kindly from the moment they met. From the moment they met, he had been irritated by her. He called her a cosplayer (something he was certain she would find insulting if she understood the context), ignored her, and yelled at her. Why was she so damn persistent? Why did she even care?

"I don't know. I just get the feeling you'd look better if you smiled." Minato looked at her, shocked. That was her reasoning? That he'd look better?

"Are you serious?"

Yuffie laughed. "C'mon, let's go catch up with Sora and Leon. And then we can begin teaching you about this thing called happiness!" She said as she ran out the door. Minato followed her, questions pounding the inside of his head. Was his previous assumption right? Did she really like him? Or was she playing with him? And why did he care? Damn that girl was annoying. He didn't like being messed with so much.

* * *

"Organization XIII!" Goofie exclaimed at the hooded figures. He, Sora, and Donald were facing down the Organization that Yen Sid had warned them about. Sora readied his Keyblade. They were all standing high above him, as if they were lording over him. Minato had run right into this scene. He was on top of the structure facing the Organization. He had been, as shameful as it was, thrown up there by Yuffie. There was no way he could jump that high. Yuffie had scaled the structure easily and then directed him to follow her before suddenly wishing him luck and disappearing in a puff of smoke. She must have seen the Organization XIII members and then fled to tell the others. She was astoundingly quick. Sora was below him. Minato found he was rather interested in what was going on.

"Hey! Can you guys come over here so I can kick your asses? It would save me from going through a lot of trouble." He shouted out, managing to get their attention. They looked towards him. Minato mentally smirked. That got their attention. Would he finally be able to use the mask in combat? He looked forward to it far more than he thought he would. Damn mask was tempting, that's for sure. One of them stepped forward, intrigued.

"Zexion? Is that you? I thought you had died." Minato was shocked by the voice. He knew that voice. It was in his past, though the identity of who it belonged to silently taunted him. However, the name 'Zexion' was foreign to him. He had never met a Zexion before. But... perhaps he could play it off. Pretend he is this Zexion fellow and gather information from these guys. Perhaps Zexion was just the type of person to go off behind the scenes. Minato glanced down at Sora. Sora was shocked and giving Minato a questioning look. Minato slyly winked, hoping he would get the message.

"Oh, it's just you guys. Yes, I am alive. But did you have to go and say my real name? I'm trying to be under cover here. Things will get rather troublesome from here on out." Minato said as calmly as he could. If he could play it off, then he could infiltrate the Organization. And he would have so much fun taking them down one at a time. After all, he had to save these worlds to get back what he lost and the fastest way to do that would be by destroying these guys.

"You're not Zexion. You're his Heartless, aren't you?" Another figure said, confidence oozing from his voice. This person was certain he was right. Well, that didn't last long. And he didn't even know who this Zexion guy was, so it wasn't as if he could play it off successfully unless he was really lucky. Minato shrugged. His attempt at tricking them didn't work. Even if they guessed wrong, they still knew he wasn't this Zexion fellow. Minato gave a fake smile. He wasn't happy that his plan didn't work, but if he looked like he wasn't affected by it, then he could affect them more with his words. He was also surprisingly pissed at being called a Heartless. Go figure.

"What gave it away? Was it my golden, glowing eyes or just my charming good looks? Either way, your guess is wrong. First of all, I am a Shadow. Not a Heartless. In fact, I dare say I have more of a heart than you do. After all, a Nobody is just the empty shell. Perhaps, in time, you could come to learn how to feel again like I'm doing, but you guys aren't willing, are you? No... You like being the way you are. Emotions or feelings are just ghost-like beings that pass through you. You guys are free from the responsibility of feeling remorse or regret. Nothing holds you back or makes you take responsibility. You don't need love, joy, sadness, or anger. Because you people are proud to be Nobodies. You don't have to worry about what you do and whom you stomp on. And isn't it just _lovely_?" Minato replied, venom dripping into his voice at the last words.

One of them stepped forward. "We do not have to explain our goals or our actions to you. After all, it is as you said. You are just a shadow. More heart than us? We couldn't care less about a simple shadow. Learn how to feel? You're fooling yourself. One cannot simply learn how to feel, you fool. Shadows like you hide from the light; they cannot enter it as a denizen of the light. They are part of the darkness. Emotions are foreign to all those who reside in the dark. It is useless. Go back to the darkness, little shadow. This conflict is none of your concern. Oh and before I go, yes it _is_ lovely." The rest laughed as they vanished. Minato's eye began to twitch violently. His title of Shadow had just been used against him. _'They don't even know what a true Shadow is. They don't know what a Shadow can do. Hell, I'll show them! I'll show them what Minato Arisato is capable of!'_ And Minato left the scene. He'd let Sora chase after them. Minato would begin planning their downfall.

* * *

"Minato? What are you doing here?" Yuffie asked. Minato was going through her stuff. In her house. How... unexpected. Minato stopped going through her closet and looked at her seriously.

"Yuffie, do you have any thing I could use to make a really big bomb? I mean, big enough to blow up several guys at once. A simple grenade won't work. I also need to throw it easily. That way, next time they all decide to show up at once, I can get them while they're talking." He said seriously.

"Who is it for? And weren't you going to leave with Sora? He said that he unlocked a new world to go visit. He did something with his Keyblade." At her response, Minato began to dig through the closet once again.

"Those Organization XIII guys need to be taught a lesson about what I can do. I doubt they could survive a bomb right in the face. As for me going with Sora... Well, tell him I'm busy. We will be leaving in a few days at the latest whether he wants it or not. I must finish something here before we can leave. The universe won't end in a few days. Besides, time might not even be the same between worlds. There's no guarantee time is matched up perfectly between worlds." Minato replied. Ooh, look what he found amidst the ninja weaponry. It was a weapon he could use. It was a shameful tactic, but he did not regret it! Minato Arisato apologized for nothing! He turned around to face her holding her...

"Really? I never thought you were the type for cartoon characters... On second thought, you _are_ the type for cartoon characters on your panties. What is this, a gerbil? Hmm. Might be a platypus. This art style is real crap." Suddenly he was smacked on the back of his head. Hard. He was sent crashing to the floor. He looked up at a red-faced Yuffie. Ah, it appeared he had found her weak spot. Interesting.

"You idiot! Don't go through a lady's personal possessions!" She was hiding her panties behind her back and glaring right down at him. Minato just shrugged.

"Not my fault that you aren't the tidiest person. I mean, who puts their underwear in a closet filled with weapons? That's just not right. And I wouldn't go so far as to call you a lady. Tomboy seems to fit you more. Lady might go with that brunette woman you know" Minato smirked, "It feels good to at least have a little payback against you for messing with me." Minato smiled slightly. _'Well, I feel a little happier. Who knew that revenge was so sweet?'_

"Well, at least you seem a bit happier. You are a g-guy, after all. Y-you just can't resist my underwear." Minato looked up at her to find her still blushing. She was trying to reverse it on him, yet she still hadn't seemed to recover from him making fun of her underwear. Minato had to admit that she had skills, despite how agitating she could sometimes be. He stood to his feet and patted her on the shoulder as he walked out. He'd see what the market had for weapons. Then he'd be back to finish the Social Link.

"Nice try, but you're a bit too flustered. You are annoying and mischievous, but it seems that anything beyond handholding or simple confessions are too much for you to handle. That's a nice weakness. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your choice in undergarments. I'm a bit too happy with this latest triumph. Oh, how the tables have turned!" He exclaimed as he left.

Yuffie frowned. It looked like he didn't really need her help to smile. He just needed things to finally go his way. Perhaps he'd just been under a lot of stress and pressure lately. It probably wasn't as complicated as she thought it was. He just needed to relax _his_ way. Her ways wouldn't work on him becoming happier. Minato needed some success. Well...

She could help with that much. He wasn't a bad guy once you got to know him. Sure he called her annoying and teased her about her underwear (something that would inspire her to clean up more), but he still promised to tell nobody and came to her house to hear her out. He even returned to her house shamelessly, like a stray dog. It was almost as if he was showing a sort of affection in his own way. Minato wasn't as cold as she, or even Minato himself, thought. He just didn't know his own feelings that well. Yeah, Yuffie had been right! This guy was a good guy! He was just a bit stupid. However, Yuffie could live with that.

_"Thou art I... And I am thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Chariot_ _Arcana."_

* * *

**4 Hours Later**

* * *

"Minato, what are you doing with that much gunpowder?" Sora asked his blue-haired friend. He wasn't even sure if they were friends (Sora felt that Minato still had a slight grudge against him for nearly killing him in his previous form). Minato was tugging along cart filled with gunpowder in large sacks. Minato looked at Sora oddly, as if his actions explained themselves.

"Isn't it simple? What is gunpowder for? Bombs and guns, that's what. I'm going to kill those assholes that insulted me with a giant bomb. It's a good thing that killing Heartless makes money. All I have to do it walk up to them and hit them in the head with my steel pipe. It is a surprisingly good weapon. It's the strongest one I own as of right now." He said proudly. Sora would be shocked by Minato, but he was starting to get used to it.

"A bomb? How are you going to kill them with a giant bomb? Are you going to throw it? They may not even all be gathered in the same place. Besides, it might hurt some innocent people!" Sora replied, hoping to talk him out of it. Minato let go of the cart and walked over to Sora. Apparently, Donald and Goofy were busy getting the Gummi Ship ready to depart. Minato placed a hand on Sora's head.

"Sora, Sora, Sora," He said, shaking his head slightly, as if he was disappointed. "I'm going to teach you something about large bombs. At first, I thought of throwing it, but it wouldn't quite have the same impact. No, good bombs must be dropped from the sky over their headquarters. We have a ship that can fly, Sora. All we need to do is find their base and fly above it. Then BOOM!" He suddenly shouted, startling Sora, "They won't live to mock me again!" Minato laughed evilly as he lifted his free hand in a fist. Sora found it odd how much Minato seemed to change. He seemed more... energetic than before. That was the only thing Sora could think of to describe this sudden change. Minato removed his hand from Sora's head and began to walk back to his cart.

"Oh, and Sora? We're not leaving yet, despite how enthusiastic you are to leave. Gosh, do you hate this place or something? You've been waiting a good four hours. Another day or so shouldn't matter. I have some business to attend to. Like building this bomb." He whistled as he walked off.

"Minato! We have to go to... stop Organization... XIII..." Sora trailed off. There was no point in calling after him or trying to stop him. Minato was the type of person that was a leader. He gave orders and he always had a plan, such as capturing Pete, trying to pretend to be a member of the Organization, or even this crazy bomb idea. He was confident and followed his beliefs, even if they weren't the best of beliefs. Sora almost felt like he... looked up to Minato. It was a weird feeling. He dispelled it with thoughts of the home world and his friends from it that he missed dearly. He needed to meet with them again and Organization XIII stood in his way. He wanted to return home as soon as possible.

Perhaps Minato's bomb idea wasn't as crazy as Sora thought it was.

* * *

"Hmm. This world appears to be related to the infamous 'ninjas' and their adventures. It is a truly an awesome place."

Aigis was in her new favorite world. She wasn't even sure if she was in the right universe. The Velvet Gates were relatively new and untested, so she had no idea where she would end up next. She could be even farther from Minato right now. It was a world of ninjas. They seemed to possess extremely exaggerated powers that rivaled those of Persona-users. One person she saw possessed the strangest red eyes that were able to manipulate the minds of others. A blond boy could create numerous copies of himself at will. Aigis learned about what it truly meant to be a ninja. She even developed her own nindo, her ninja way. Overall, Aigis liked this world, despite the fact she had to leave after her scanners picked up no trace of Minato.

SLAP!

Aigis turned her head towards the sky. She knew that sound. It was the sound of Minato face palming himself. For it to be this loud, he must have seriously meant that face palm. Somebody must have bothered him immensely.

"I can only imagine what you are going through, Minato. Do not worry, I will make sure to rid you of whatever is causing you distress. After all, my connection to you is the reason I am living. But you already know that, don't you?"

Aigis was talking to herself again. It was an odd habit she had picked up to alleviate her loneliness. It seemed to work temporarily, but...

She still missed him dearly.

* * *

"Wake up, Nixatom. The time has finally come for you to go and meet your other self and destroy him. For only then can you become whole once more. That is what you wish for the most, correct? To regain what was wrongfully taken from you?"

"Yes. I was separated against my will. I did nothing wrong except attempt to learn more about the nature of the Heartless. What error is there in doing such experiments with them? I was needlessly punished. Now, I must face myself... to become myself once more. How strange everything has become. I wonder, though, how strong my other self must be. I hope he's fun at the very least. I was stronger than Elizabeth in my prime, after all. Well, let us depart."

Nixatom stuck his Evoker to his head and with a quick pull of the trigger, disappeared with his companion.

He was going to have some fun finally.

* * *

A/N: I know the Organization is all like "We want our hearts back so we're going to do bad things and crap", but Minato doesn't know this. He just goes off what he sorta kinda heard from Yen Sid and his own knowledge about bad guys. As for Minato constantly calling Yuffie annoying, it's been a long time since he felt emotions due to years as a Heartless. He has them now, but he doesn't fully understand them unless they overwhelm him... yeah. Next chapter we should be getting to Mulan's world. I'm not going to put the next chapter title up there like I recently started doing because it would just be Chariot Part 2. Yeah... Oh and Venas' review gave me the idea for the rather obvious Naruto world Aigis is in at the end. (Thank you, Venas!)

On a completely unrelated note, the Velvet Pirates only got like 3 reviews for the last chapter. I recommend reading it and reviewing if you haven't yet. It's going to get awesome in the next chapter. Also, I'm going through and fixing some grammatical errors and whatnot in M1N470. Just finished Chapter 2... I have a long way to go.

On another unrelated note, I'm playing through P4 and I'm just raging. I want to get Naoto! Why does it take so long to get to Naoto! Also, I named my protag in that game Ryoji Arisato. Because that would be an impossibly awesome plot twist.

Next up in the update cycle is the Celestial Suicide Mage. Aw, man. My brain feels empty right now. I can't finish that one up right now or even leave a good author's note. Sorry guys. Just uh... make sure to leave a review. Reviews help me to keep writing even if I don't respond to them all in the reply section. No reviews = no writing.

Oh and welcome to 2013.

**ANSWER TO QUESTION:** Minato was used 94 times. Mzr90 and devout heretic got it right! Flee before their might!

**REVIEW REPLY TIME!:**

**HolyMage Mouto: **Berserk form? Well, the Shadows in P4 had to be denied to go into berserk form. Who is going to deny Minato? Also, there is one noticeable trait that all Shadows share besides being made of the same substance. Have you guessed it? They all wear masks pertaining to their Arcanas. :D And the Reaper? Hadn't thought of it. Though it would make for a nice plot development... Ooooooh... I'm so going to use that now. Thanks!

**13TheAce:** Yuffie on drugs... She isn't. She was just in an obscenely good mood due to Sora returning as well as her being energetic is part of who she is. :D

**devout heretic:** You, sir or madam, are awesome for giving the correct answer. That is all. :)

**Venas**: I was just thinking of the Yukari full moon scene when I was writing that. Now that was an awkward situation. Aigis in Naruto's world? Done. ;) I give you the credit for that bit :)

**Yuuji Narukami:** Happy New Year! I would have said Merry Christmas back, but I was busy celebrating and decided to wish you a happy whatever as soon as I updated. Oh and Minato's Nobody will be appearing in this story. Where is he? What has he been doing all this time? The nose knows. (Thank you Teddie for letting me use that line.)

**DemonRaily:** Glad you liked it! Minato may need to become a full being to get the rest of his heart back. Remember, he can only get to rank 5 for each Social Link. So... where did the other half go? ;) Also, whether or not he wants his humanity back may be a source of inner conflict once he remembers/encounters Aigis. Thanatos punching out Hades is still awesome. Having dialogue from Hades commenting on it would also be extremely awesome. Wait... Nyx is part of Greek mythology... Hercules world... I just now have the greatest idea ever for right now. Thank you...

**zeno518: **Well, Koromaru could fit in... Aha! I know how to get him in now. Koromaru you loyal son of a bitch! (Meant it literally). Leon and Minato could have a Social Link, but I think that I'm going to try to space it to one link per a world at least. There will be a few instance in which that may be broken, but I'm not going to have him link anyone else in Hollow Bastion for now. Olette will be a link. She may even be part of the Fool link... Darn. That was a bit of a spoiler. Thanks for the review!

**Mzr90:** You were right! Congratulations! And yeah, he is snarky. After all, he is the Shadow, the true self. Also the mask is something every Shadow has. Think about it. Now doesn't it seem more awesome? :)

**wilson:** His Nobody... well... you'll find out in time.

**Twin Judge of Gemini:** Yes, a little Minato x Yuffie at least for this and the next chapter. It won't become a serious relationship or anything (most likely will result in a one-sided crush), but Yuffie is an important link for Minato's character development. Steel pipe is the only strong weapon he has. It's good for comedic value and beating things. However, it may be a source of ridicule in the future and, well, it's only a pipe. Minato will be able to put up to actually fight without switching to using his mask for a while due to it.

**bon123:** This one is a good thousand words longer at least. Sorry for not updating :)

**HellPwnage1337:** The two Alice's... Amazing. It will be amazing. "DIE For Me!"(Persona Alice) "That's supposed to be me?" (KH Alice) "That's supposed to be her?" (Sora) "Yep. Now watch them all die." (Minato)

I just want to say... thank you all for reviewing. Rereading your reviews has already inspired me once again. I love you all. No homo if you're a guy. Just saying. If you're a girl... well, it could have been more awkward.

**Question of the Chapter:** What worlds do you want Aigis to show up in?

**REVIEW, FAVORITE, FOLLOW. **Pretty please with gunpowder on top?


	5. The Chariot Part 2

**Chapter 5:** **The Chariot Part 2**

* * *

_ "I am the champion of the earth and the sky. I am the conqueror of evil. The single white rose of Wutai. Yuffie Kisaragi!" — Yuffie Kisaragi_**  
**

* * *

**The Next Day**

* * *

"What is that?" A soft voice from behind commented. Minato took a moment to stop staring at the glorious monument of destruction to face her. It was rather unexpected that somebody would ask him what it was. After all, he built it near the edge of town. He turned to look. It was the brown-haired woman from earlier who had found him. He hadn't spoken with this lady at all. Well, he had to fix that. He had to at least tell her she was more lady-like than Yuffie. Perhaps he could make the comment when all three of them were in the same room together... Yes. That sounded delightful.

"It, my dear lady, is a bomb. It kills bad people. Good people too if they're stupid." He said with a shrug.

"... Why is it so big? How many people are you going to kill with it?"

Indeed the bomb was big. Bigger, in fact, than Minato himself. Twice his size actually. Or maybe even larger... Somehow, he'd found a manual in a local store. Of course, Minato had to up the number of ingredients used over ten times the usual amount. Creating a bomb that could be used against supposedly 'powerful' Nobodies was no easy or inexpensive task, after all.

"Why? Because art is an explosion and I am a rather big art fanatic. The enemies I'm facing dared to mock me, so I'll be kind enough to show them what art truly looks like up close and personal. One could say I'm repaying insult with kindness. I'll kill them so brilliantly they'll love it!" Minato declared snobbishly. These people, these Nobodies, had no idea what they were dealing with. He completely ignored the question of how many people he was going to kill with it because, well, he didn't count how many there were when he first saw them. In fact, that was one of the reasons he was making the bomb so big. However, he wouldn't tell that to anyone.

"I-I don't think it works like that..." The lady said in an exasperated tone.

"Well, we will see about that," Minato turned to the lady, a polite smile on his face, "What is your name? I saw you earlier when I introduced myself but I never got the pleasure of getting to know you." Minato was on his best behavior around this lady. He liked to think wasn't rude to everyone, only those that deserved it. Besides, this girl seemed to radiate an aura of gentleness. He would actually feel bad if he was rude to her.

"I'm Aerith. It's nice to meet you, but I still have questions about this bo-"

"Holy shit! What the hell did ya' make, Minato?!" Cid had just so _kindly_ interrupted her.

"Ah, Cid my good man. This is my plan for those bitches in Organization XIII." Minato proudly proclaimed. Cid gave him a thumbs-up with a proud smile as he examined the bomb. He made a gesture for Minato to come to him and the two began to speak quickly in excited tones as they crowded the area around the bomb.

"It's good, but look at the casing right here. See the problem? And then if you add this here-"

"Ah, yes! I see! But what about this?"

"That's a smart idea, kid. But if you do this to it, then the blast radius will be-"

"Genius!"

Aerith felt left out. She felt a hand pat her on the shoulder. She turned her head. Yuffie was standing there smiling happily.

"It's okay, Aerith. That dummy doesn't know how to properly treat ladies like us. Just look at him, leaving us waiting." Yuffie said with a sigh as her smile turned sad.

_'Since when were you a lady?!'_ Aerith almost exclaimed. Luckily, she managed to keep it restrained. Yuffie would not appreciate the comment. Of that much she was sure. Yuffie was not a lady, in fact, and Aerith would not even call herself a lady. Being called a lady meant you were old and fancy. Aerith was not just some old lady and Yuffie was even less so. Aerith knew how to fight far better than all those _ladies_ out there did. And... Yuffie was definitely a tomboy.

"Hey, Yuffie! Do you have any other types of fuses? It might really help my project!" Minato shouted excitedly. He was really into this bomb idea. It was almost as if he had forgotten why he was even making it.

"Oh, I have some good ones! Want to come over to my place?" Yuffie exclaimed as she ran over to Minato. At least they were having fun... building a weapon of mass destruction.

"Well, at least he lightens the mood around here." Aerith said with a content sigh.

Speaking of lightening the mood... where was Sora?

* * *

Sora sat on a bench, bored out of his mind. He literally had no idea what to do. Normally he just went straight to the next world. He never actually hung around. This time he had stayed for a full day and even slept in the Gummi Ship with everyone. He barely ever had downtime normally. Now that he did... what was he supposed to do? He could hang out with Donald and Goofy, but Donald was speaking with his uncle and Goofy had wandered off somewhere. He was off probably doing goofy things... heh. That was a pun.

So... Sora was alone.

It was weird, being alone and having nothing to do. Organization XIII was probably having the time of their lives, but he was just sitting there. He sighed as he summoned his Keyblade. He waved it around a couple of times. Maybe he could ask Minato for a spar? It would be fun to see the look on Minato's face when he completely owned him with his power. The Keyblade was an awesome weapon, after all. Sora could never kill a single Heartless without it.

But Minato was busy building a bomb...

Whatever. He could go and disturb Minato if he wanted. After all, Minato would do the same. And Minato's way of life seemed to be working out for him very well.

* * *

_"Thou art I... And I am thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Chariot_ _Arcana."_

The rank for the Social Link had just increased again. All Minato had done was let Yuffie drag him to her house, have a little fun with some jokes, and not insult her... Wait. Since when did he not insult her? When did he start to get along with this girl? I-It... just seemed to happen. What was she to him now? Was she... his friend? Well, she was an idiot, but she... she kind of grew on him. She was less of an annoyance and more of an... underling. Was that the right term? Why did it feel wrong?

"What are you staring at me for? Weren't you looking for a better fuse? Unless... You're thinking of using me as the fuse?! Oh, you beast of man!" Yuffie exclaimed as she crossed her arms against her chest defensively, half-concerned and half-joking. Minato was spacing out on her. It wasn't like him. He was always so focused when he was doing something he chose to. When he asked for something like a fuse, he would go through whatever she had excitedly looking for the newest piece for his weapon. Along the way, he would crack a few sarcastic or dry jokes that were surprisingly refreshing. Even though they had only known each other for a short time, Yuffie felt she knew him. It was an odd feeling, but it was a good one. Minato laughed dryly.

"Yeah, and your short hair would light _so_ well. Not. On the other hand, those ridiculous cartoon panties of yours seem quite flammabl-"

THUNK!

Yuffie had slammed his face to the floor of her house once again. Those wood boards hurt like a _bitch._

"Would you stop doing that? Contrary to seemingly popular belief, my forehead does not, in fact, have a wood fetish. I would also like to remind you that are you destroying your own house by doing this, as my head appears to be harder than the wood. Idiot." Minato said as sat up and rubbed his forehead. Yuffie's face was slightly red once again. It appears that even the mention of her panties made her blush. Aww. It was so cute... _'Stop_ it,_ brain!'_.

"You're the idiot..." Yuffie said, trailing off with a saddened look on her face as she turned her head away from him. Minato stood to his feet and tried to approach her. He knew her whole underwear thing was a sensitive topic, but he never expected her to respond like this. He thought she would just laugh it off like last time. What changed? And what was this feeling he had in the pit of his stomach? He was feeling bad? But... He never felt... like this before. Why did he hate seeing her make a face like that? It made no sense. Didn't her reaction just give joy last time? Was he changing or what?! His body was moving against his will, his lips about to speak words he hadn't spoken before. Why was this happening? This wasn't him, right?! Or... was it? No! Hell no! This wasn't him!

"Yuffie... I'm so-"

SLAM!

"Hey, Minato! Wanna spar?!" The sudden jolt of Sora slamming the door open without any warning caused Minato to trip as he was moving forward. The result being: He fell on Yuffie. And was now straddling her. It was the exact reverse of when they first met. Her face turned a brilliant crimson as he felt his own cheeks burn intensely. The two stared into each other's eyes for a moment, unable to comprehend their current circumstances. Being so close to her... her fragrance... Being like this felt so nice... This girl was... NO! NO! NO! This was NOT happening! Minato was the first to recover. He threw himself off Yuffie in a flash and ran out the door, grabbing Sora along with him as he did so. His face was burning red the entire time.

"Wait... Minato..." Yuffie said as she sat up and stared at the door, her arm reaching out just moments too late. She fell backwards onto her back, the sound of the muffled impact ringing through her empty house. She would just lay down for a bit and process what just happened. When she finished, she chuckled softly.

"Now look who's too easily flustered... dummy." She smirked... as she suddenly felt lonelier.

"Damn it."

* * *

Leon was busy working. And by working, he was patrolling. There really wasn't much he could do other than that at the moment. Organization XIII had managed to sneak inside Hollow Bastion, something he had previously thought impossible. He had to tighten security. He passed by the giant bomb that Minato had been making as patrolled the outskirts. The thing truly was huge. It was the size of the Gummi Ship itself. It was a mystery how Minato had managed to build it so easily. Leon had to admit that Minato had great technical skills at least. He still didn't trust him or even like him for that matter.

As Leon passed by it, he heard the clang of metal clashing. It was a battle. Sensing danger, he rushed to the origin of the sound only to find that instead of a battle against Shadows it was...

"They're sparring?!"

* * *

Sora leaped into the air only to come crashing down with a vertical strike from his Keyblade. Minato blocked with his steel pipe using only one hand. With the other, he punched Sora, sending him flying. Sora landed on his feet and skidded to a stop. Sora came at him again. Sora was launching a barrage of blows. From the left, the right, below, above and then rinse and repeat. Minato was exerting himself trying to block them all. The kid was like a hurricane when he wanted to be. Minato took an opening between attacks to rush Sora. Sora tried to attack him, but Minato reached down and threw sand in his eyes while he charged him. Sora quickly became wide open as he furiously attempted to rub the sand out of his eyes. He struck Sora over the head with the pipe while grabbing his Keyblade with his free hand. Minato tore the Keyblade away from Sora easily and threw it away while pushing Sora back with his pipe. Sora fell to the ground, weaponless.

The two faced each other for a moment. Nothing happened. Sora then summoned his weapon and stood to his feet. Minato held out a hand to stop him. Minato sighed as ran his hand through his hair. This was what happened when he challenged Sora to a 'regular sword fight'. No magic or anything to help him. The kid fought like an animal. There was no skill behind any of his blows. His fighting style was the result of a kid wanting to be cool. But that wasn't what irritated him.

"Geez, you're still a kid. You fight like one. You only fight with the Keyblade. You know you have a whole body you could use, right? Feet to kick, hands to punch, elbows for elbowing, knees for kneeing, and a head for head-butting. And look at this area. There's a lot of sand here. You have to use your environment as well. You're strong, I'll give you that, but you fight too... fairly. If you can, kick your opponent in the balls. Throw sand in their eyes. Slam their head against a wall. Repeatedly. A battle is not a fair or fancy duel. If you're putting your life on the line, then you should fight as hard as you can. These Nobodies have human bodies. We can make them pay for that. The way you fight is perfect for mindless Heartless who only want your heart, but if you want to fight Organization XIII, then you should be able to fight unfairly. They will be stronger than you. They will be smarter than you. I dare say they will even be more skilled than you. You just have to make the distance between you and them as short as possible." Minato lectured. Sora was listening, but... Fight unfairly? That type of fighting style didn't seem to fit him.

"What about your bomb idea? Won't that kill them all?" Sora asked curiously. Minato seemed so proud of the idea. It must work, right? Minato released an embarrassed chuckle.

"Hahaha... About that... the bomb is... too big for the Gummi Ship... So, I'm leaving it here! As a last resort!" Sora was in shock. For a moment, Sora had actually believed Minato's idea might work. However, it turned out that Minato had gotten just a little overexcited. Sora had one more question, though...

"Okay. Hey, Minato? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Is there something going on between you and Yuffie? I mean, the position I saw you guys in when I walked in was..." Minato's face reddened. Was Sora actually right? Did they like each other?

"S-Sora," He said, his voice cracking a bit, "If you shut your mouth and not speak a word of what happened, I'll spar you anytime, you devious son of a bitch." That wasn't what Sora was going for, but he accepted it. He always wanted somebody he could spar to get stronger.

"O-okay, I guess. I won't tell anybody. I promise." Minato smiled a little at that.

_"Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Sun Arcana."_

Then his smile turned into a frown. He raised his steel pipe. He'd be stuck with this Social Link. Stuck. His experiences with Yuffie clearly had given him a bad impression of Social Links.

"Okay, next round, Sora! I still have a lot of irritation to work off!"

Sora gulped as he readied his weapon.

* * *

Leon frowned at the way Minato fought. It was a way Yuffie would fight. It was mischievous and dirty. Well, Leon hoped Minato wasn't teaching Sora anything bad.

As he walked away, he felt like his hope was in vain.

"Aaaargh! Why did you have to kick there?!"

"Didn't I tell you? Kick them in the BALLS!"

"Ow! Not agaaain!"

_'Sorry, Sora.' _Leon thought at he walked away, half-smirking.

* * *

**1 Hour of Senseless Beating Later**

* * *

Minato watched as Cid wheeled away his bomb to somewhere safe where they could use it later. It was heart wrenching, but it had to be done. For multiple reasons. At least he had managed to make some quick grenades for later. He loved manuals. He didn't know if it was because of his nearly absent memory, but for some reason he could soak up the information very easily. He was quickly becoming an expert on explosives. Cid helped him understand quite a few things as well. With the money he got from killing random Heartless, Minato bought a lot of spare ingredients and whatnot and put them in a suitcase that he put in the Gummi Ship's cargo hold. He had a feeling that they might run into situation where explosives would be handy.

"Minato? Hey, can I talk to you?" At the sound of that familiar voice, Minato fled. He didn't why, but he was running from Yuffie.

Maybe it was because she was just so... annoying.

Irritating.

Confounding.

Confusing

Energetic.

Happy.

Wonderful.

Beautifu- WAIT A SECOND! This couldn't be happening! Was he actually liking her?! No, it was impossible! They just met the other day!

"Minato, you dummy, wait up!"

_'No way in hell. Screw the Social Link! I'm out of here!'_

He ran and ran, but she was catching up to him quickly. Yuffie was very fast. He tried to make tight turns around corners to lose her, but she seemed to just keep getting closer. Eventually, she disappeared from his sight, no longer behind him. He took a sigh of relief as he leaned against a wall. The feeling of cool stone on his head was refreshing.

"Found you~!"

Right in front of him appeared Yuffie. He to move, but she held him in place with a surprising strength. Her hands were on his arms, forcing him against the wall. He didn't dare try to move, for fear she would rip his arms off. He sighed in resignation. Yuffie pouted…

"What are you sighing for? Is talking to me really that bad?" Minato winced at the hurt in her voice. Part of him was still rebelling against the unfairness of it all, but another, newer part, took control. He averted his eyes.

"No... It's just... Gah, I don't even know why I ran away." He mumbled tiredly. Yuffie perked right up after his little admission. The fact that he didn't outright say yes or something negative must have been what she was looking for.

"It's because of what happened at my house, right? 'It was an accident'. That it what _you _should be saying. But you know what? I don't care. Do you know why, Minato Arisato?" Yuffie asked, strangely using his full name. Minato looked her in the eyes, surprised.

"Why?"

"Because I, Yuffie Kisaragi, like you."

"Wha... Wha...? WHAT?!" He exclaimed, red-faced once more. Why the hell was Yuffie confessing such a thing now?! Yuffie leaned in closely.

"I. Like. You. Always have, always will. Yeah, you may be a bit of a dummy, but when I first met you... Heh, I guess you could call it love at first sight really. I got a strange feeling when I met you. You're a good person. Not pure like Sora and not exactly kind like Aerith. No, you're a different type of good. Because despite whatever hell I _know_ you must have gone through, whatever tragedy happened to you in your past, you still can move forward. You can still smile and make friends. You're the type of guy that would sacrifice himself to save the world. So I don't care if you accidentally trip and fall on me, putting us in... vulnerable positions. Because if it's you, I know I'm okay."

"You don't... know me." Minato said weakly. He could barely protest. Because it was true. If his friends were in danger, he would be a damn idiot and sacrifice himself for them. As much as he would protest and complain, he'd do it anyway. He didn't have many friends. If Hayner, Pence, and Olette were in danger... if even Cid, Sora, and Yuffie were in danger... He'd give himself up if doing it would save them. Damn it! Why... was he suddenly like this?! Did... did getting more of his heart back with each Social Link rank have something to do with this? Yes, yes that must be it!

"I know that you sparred with Sora and gave him advice to make him stronger, even though you didn't need to. I know you let us have the bomb for our protection instead of just making it smaller and bringing it with you. I know you felt bad when you made fun of my... undergarments and even promised not to tell anyone about them. I know you tried to infiltrate Organization XIII alone so that nobody else would get hurt. I know that you don't even understand your own feelings. If your actions are any indication, that is." Why... why was this all true?

"... Well... Damn it." Minato chuckled, though he didn't know why he found everything so funny. Was it because he had actually been seen through? Was he actually a good guy? He thought he was a snarky son of a bitch. He loved being a snarky son of a bitch. "I'm a better guy than I thought I was. And I have to respond to your confession now, don't I?" Minato asked, hopeful she would shake her head no.

Yuffie shook her head. Minato felt relief at the gesture and also... disappointment.

"You're probably confused and unsure and whatnot. I'd be taking advantage of you right now if I didn't give you _some_ time to think about things. Because that's how you are. You're emotionally retarded, Minato." _'Gee, thanks,_ _Yuffie._' Minato mentally sighed as Yuffie continued speaking. "Besides, you have to go to other worlds, save everyone, and defeat Organization XIII. I won't pressure you into responding right now. But after this all is over... You better expect to be seeing me soon, you got that? And I want a well-thought out, passionate response!"

"Got it. You know, you are absolutely, positively irritating." Minato said in a resigned tone.

"I know."

She smiled as she put her head forward, closing that small amount of distance between them and then...

She slammed her lips against his.

She was kissing him.

He was kissing her.

One feeling flooded his mind, overwhelming every other single thought or protest in his head.

Happiness.

Yuffie had succeeded in teaching him happiness.

_"Though you may be apart, your hearts shall forever be connected. Thou hast nurtured yet another unbreakable bond. Thou shalt have our blessing with whatever thou choosest."_

Minato remembered a part of his past. He remembered Kazushi, his old friend in kendo. Kendo... he did kendo. That information was useful.

* * *

"This... surge of energy... We have a lock... on his exact location."

"Send us there now."

"Yes..."

* * *

Minato pulled away from their rather long kiss to get a breath of fresh air. Yuffie had really leaned in and gotten into it. For a second, Minato had felt tongue. He wasn't... quite ready for that. However, this girl certainly was energetic. He touched his face, realizing that he had been smiling. He looked at Yuffie's face. She was smiling as well. What was... this sense of fulfillment? Did this normally come with a max Social Link? He supposed so. Minato tried to calm his rapidly beating heart as began to speak. He failed, of course.

"Yuffie... Just... what..? Why...? I..." Minato couldn't even find the right words. His head was swimming with so many thoughts he felt like he was drowning. Yuffie just laughed as she skipped away. She turned her head over her shoulder to say one last thing.

"I'll be waiting for you, dummy. And I know how you just _love_ to keep a girl waiting." And with a smirk and a puff of smoke, she vanished. Minato sighed. He had no idea what to do now. He kind of wanted to stay in this world longer, to get to grow closer to the people he met there. This world was, despite his earlier thoughts, actually an okay world. He looked around his location. In his hurry to get away from Yuffie earlier, he hadn't paid attention to where he ran. He was near one of the walls of Hollow Bastion. It was really an alleyway; it even had a dead end. There was nobody else arou-

The sound of a single person clapping broke through the silence in the air.

"Ah, Shadow me. You are quite the little slut, but then again... I cannot fault you for it. After all, I am the same."

Minato snapped his eyes to the origin of the voice. Two figures stood there, facing him. They were blocking his only escape from the alley. One wore a cloak and cape of a blinding white color. He seemed extremely pristine. But that wasn't what drew Minato's eyes to him the most. No, it was the figure's face and hair. His hair was blue, with one eye revealed beneath his long hair. The eye was grey. The figure next to him was an even more terrifying presence. A tall figure dressed in black, bound by chains with a bandaged head. This... thing had two long barrel pistols. Fear radiated from the being and the terror was sinking into his pores, filling him entirely. This thing would kill him. It would kill him. There was no hope. He couldn't fight it... not like he was now at least. _'Aha! I got it! The mask!'_

"Bravo. You sure know how to pick them. A ninja of all things is quite impressive for a max Social Link. But alas, it appears your Journey ends here. I'm going to have to become whole once more, after all. That means you must die. For there can only truly be one." The Minato look-a-like said as he finished clapping.

"Who the hell are you? And... why do you look like me?" Minato kept his voice calm, low, and deadly. He could fight this guy. He still had that mask. However, the figure in black seemed... ridiculously strong. Fighting them both would be extremely difficult.

"Oh, it appears you are quite forgetful. You were a Heartless first, remember? So, naturally, I'm the other half. The Nobody. The one who has to kill you to become complete again. You may call me Nixatom for the short duration of your existence. After all, you made things quite easy for me by ascending to a Shadow. You give off such a large amount of energy with your Social Links, that I can't help but find you. The maxing of a Social Link even gives me your exact location, thanks to this guy here." He motioned towards the tall figure in black. "Meet my friend, The Reaper."

Minato shivered. He was afraid. He hadn't felt fear when he saw those Organization XIII guys. He could laugh at them. But this fear he felt was of a primal, survival kind. Without his mask, he would undoubtedly die. There was no question about it. No fighting or protesting the fact. His mask was his only hope. He feared The Reaper. Minato wanted to put the mask on immediately on fight these guys, but maybe, just maybe, he could get a little more information about his past if he waited. The thirst for that knowledge was extreme. He knew he'd get memories back with his Social Links, but still...

He had to know.

"What do you mean by slut? Was I in a previous relationship?" He said, trying to sound innocent. He wanted to ask so many other questions, but this was the only one he felt Nixatom would answer right now.

Nixatom laughed. "_We _were. Chihiro, Yuko, Mitsuru, Fuuka, Yukari, and even that damn robot, Aigis. Do you remember them? For the sake of power, we made them all fall in love with us. That is how we work. Friends, companions, lovers, Social Links, they are all just part of our power. When we are done with them, when the link is maxed, we disregard them, forget about them. After all, they then have no use for us any longer."

_'...Aigis... She is... important to me...'_ Even though Nixatom cited a whole list of girls, the last one caught his attention the most for some reason. It was weird. A robot? How did he make a robot fall for him? And why would some strange robot seem so... important to him? In fact, they all seemed important to him in varying degrees, but Aigis... she stood out the most.

"A robot? Seriously? Well, what other crazy things did we do?" Minato asked jokingly, still holding his mask behind his back. Nixatom shrugged.

"You'll know soon enough," Nixatom grinned predatorily, "When you become part of me. Reaper... sic 'em." _'Guess I'm gonna have to beat the shit out of him,'_ thought Minato.

The Reaper raised his revolver silently.

Minato pulled the mask from behind his back and enjoyed Nixatom's surprised expression. The Reaper was about to fire. There could be no hesitation, no error. He had to do this perfectly.

He slammed it against his own face.

A single voice came from the mask, whispering into the fragments of his heart. Rather, it was if every single one of the voices that once taunted and provoked him combined into one singular omnipotent voice. It was his own voice.

_"Thou art I... And I am thou."_

The Reaper fired.

Minato grinned widely, like an old man he met in his distant past.

* * *

Sora was having a good time with Donald and Goofy after healing his numerous injuries. It took a lot of MP to fix what Minato did, but afterwards, Sora felt much stronger. Minato had taught him many useful things, after all.

Then the ground began to shake violently beneath their feet. Donald and Goofy had a hard time standing up as the comically fell to the ground. Sora was barely keeping his balance.

"What is this?!" Donald exclaimed in fear.

"EAAAARTHQUAKE!" Goofy shouted as ran around flailing his arms, occasionally falling as he did so.

But Sora had a feeling he knew what it was. A deep, deep feeling reminiscent of the pain he had felt earlier.

"Minato?"

* * *

Cid desperately tried to keep the large bomb from falling over or rolling around as the ground shook. He held it as it nearly crushed him against a wall. He began to sweat from the effort, nearly causing him to lose his grip. Then the bomb began to roll in the other direction, taking him with it.

"Damn it! Who's the S.O.B. who decided we needed an earthquake right now?!"

* * *

Leon and Aerith were drinking tea together. A nice tea break was always good. Leon made the tea himself. He, quite honestly, loved the tea. Aerith loved the... fact that he tried so hard to make it. Then the ground started shaking, causing the tea to spill all over the place. Especially in Leon's lap. It was very hot tea. In an instant he leaped to his feet.

"HOT! HOT! HOT! HOT! Darn whoever made me spill my tea!" Leon shouted to the heavens as he ran around in circles, trying to find something to cool down his... injured area.

Aerith slyly dumped her tea to the side of the table. She didn't want to insult Leon, but... She was silently thankful to whoever made Leon spill his tea. After all, it couldn't be a regular earthquake. Hollow Bastion rarely got earthquakes. And even then they were never this severe.

* * *

Yuffie sat at her kitchen table in her home alone. She'd actually done it! She managed to not get flustered _and_ confess! She was certain that Minato felt the same; she wasn't worried on that front. However, she was often told that she rushed things. She worried about that. That was why she gave Minato all that time to decide._ 'He would never get kissed by another girl.'_ Yuffie thought smugly. Nobody else would understand him like she did. His rather tough exterior would be hard to pierce by anybody but the great ninja Yuffie! She would conquer him! She could see the ending!

The ground shook beneath her, causing her to fall face-first into the wooden boards of her floor.

Those wood boards hurt like a _bitch_.

_'Sorry, Minato. I finally understand your pain.'_

* * *

"Per..."

The bullet had been deflected by the sudden spire of blue flames that surrounded him. The ground shook and quivered before the might of a power which had been dormant and unused for years. Nixatom smiled happily. It appeared he wanted Minato to put up a fight. The Reaper did not even move an inch.

"So..."

A blue card descended from the sky. Minato grasped it in his hand, infusing it with the blue flames surrounding him. An image of The Fool Arcana flashed on it. Then it switched to the Death Arcana.

"Na."

He crushed the card in his hand.

The sound of glass shattering.

A legendary figure appearing before him.

He knew this too well. And he loved every second of it.

"I'M BACK, BITCHES! Thanatos, let's Megidoloan these assholes!"

_[Got it! Let's kill shit! It's good to be back, boss!]_

Ah, how he loved the voices inside his head.

Thanatos, the black cloaked personification of death, held out his hand, creating a myriad of orbs of light that raced towards their targets, slamming into the enemies before him and causing a humongous explosion. _'Not enough.'_ Minato thought as he gritted his teeth.

Bullets tore through the smoke of the explosion. Minato was now able to dodge them as all his stats had been increased from the mask. It was like a simulation of what it would be like if he had his whole heart.

Flaming bullets then followed the previous bullets. They seemed so slow to Minato. Minato didn't even need to crush another card. He forcibly kept Thanatos out and simply commanded him.

"Tempest Slash."

Thanatos launched a flurry of sword strikes at supersonic speeds, managing to slice the bullets to pieces before they even got close to him. The smoke then fully cleared away from the surge of wind caused by Tempest Slash. Minato faced the two with an eager smile on his face. However, there was something different. The Reaper seemed to be swaying slightly, as if it was injured, whereas Nixatom wasn't injured at all. He was holding a strange book. _'The hell? Is he going to fight me by reading?! Bring it on!'_

"You most likely don't remember this book, do you? I'm disappointed. I guess this is the burden the one with his full share of our heart has to bear. It was the one of the many products of our research. It was something we planned to replace the Compendium. This is our first sin. It's a pity our research was cut short by the sudden split between the two of us. We had so much more to create, so many more subjects to experiment on. This book is the _Lexicon,_" said Nixatom as he opened the book, the Lexicon, wide open. Then Nixatom opened the book. He withdrew a blank card. It glowed blue before an image appeared on it.

"Thanatos. Megidoloan."

A mirror image of Thanatos appeared before Nixatom as he crushed the card. Minato smiled at the challenge. Oh, wait. He hadn't_ stopped _smiling! He was having too much fun!

_[Boss?] _Thanatos said, anger coursing through his voice.

_'Yes?'_

_[Let's kill that copycat.]_

_'Of course.'_

"Thanatos, let's show this Nobody who has the real juevos! Megidoloan!"

Both Thanatos and his copy launched their attacks at each other continuously, causing a draw. But neither stopped. One attack had to hit. That was how it was supposed to be. However, this draw disabled Minato from using his Persona until it concluded. Oh well, at least he could-

BANG!

The bullet lodged itself firmly into Minato's left shoulder, disabling it. There was now a large hole in it. He'd forgotten about the Reaper. Minato wasn't even bleeding the red blood of a human, but the black ichor of a Shadow. _'Well, what do you know? My blood is black.'_ The Reaper was still moving about. The Reaper was a bit injured, but it still was nowhere near enough to be called fatal. Minato was actually beginning to think the swaying was natural. Minato summoned a random weapon into his hand as he nursed his wounded shoulder. He was certain he'd unlocked some new ones with the recent surge he got in fragments of his heart... How about he just call them Heart Fragments? Easier? Hell, yes.

He had... a spiked bat? That was pretty metal. He threw it up in the air. He summoned a smoke bomb he had made just recently and threw it to the ground. He caught the bat with his only usable hand when it fell into the cloud of smoke.

Minato rushed the Reaper under the cover of smoke while his Persona was keeping his mirror image occupied. He had a useless left arm that he couldn't heal at the present moment, was outnumbered, and couldn't use his Persona. He considered his options.

A.) Attempt to beat the living shit out of his enemies right now and get beaten in the process like an idiot. Die.

B.) Ask people who he knew weren't strong enough for help. Be an ass and let them get killed while he runs away. Live happily. That was a possibility. Hey, he cares about his friends. Nobody ever said anything about random strangers.

C.) Armageddon! And then have no more SP, or, rather, spiritual power, left to light a candle. Die.

D.) Run away to the next world. Start a 'Social Link' and run thing until he was prepared to face Nixatom and the Reaper. Train Sora up as a Weapon of Mass Destruction and then have Sora, Donald, and Goofy ambush and kill them while he keeps them occupied. Sora did have great potential for a kid. Another possibility.

E.) Pull out some shounen protagonist bullshit and suddenly transform on the brink of death even when his organs and bones are crushed and annihilate them... But what would he transform into? Hmm.

F.) Bombs? No. Not enough.

B wouldn't work. Strangers couldn't occupy Nixatom long enough. E was... well, it sounded awesome. Looks like it would be answer D. He always wanted to create a child soldier. Plus, Nixatom would follow him and not kill anybody needlessly... Not that... he cared about that or anything.

He jumped into the air, somehow dodging more of the Reaper's bullets by twisting in midair as he rammed the spiked bat into its bandaged face. It howled in pain as he continued the jumped into a front flip onto the other side of the alley. He quickly swapped Personae, allowing the Megidoloan to slam into the alleyway. He summoned yet another blue card. In an instant. Nixatom appeared before him, armed with a familiar looking short sword. He swung his sword down in a vertical arc, aiming to cut Minato in half.

"DIE!"

"Trafuri!"

In a flash of light, Minato disappeared. Nixatom looked to the Reaper. He was no longer smiling. He expected his Heartless-turned-Shadow to go down easily.

"Reaper. Find him." He ordered.

And in a raspy, dried out voice, the Reaper responded.

"Yes... Atom of Nyx..."

* * *

"Sora, Donald, Goofy! Get to the Gummi Ship! We're leaving this instant!" Minato shouted at the trio as he ran towards the ship. Sensing the urgency in his voice, they all snapped to attention and ran as well to the Gummi Ship.

"Minato! What's happening?!" Sora asked as he ran alongside Minato. Sora eyed Minato's injury. This... wasn't good. Minato didn't seem to be the type to get injured.

"The shit has hit the fan!"

Well, that sure explained it.

* * *

They reached the Gummi Ship fairly quickly. They never got to say their goodbyes, but Sora had a feeling they would meet again. Donald and Goofy assumed their seats in the ship near the front. Sora went for the seat near the middle of the large cockpit. Minato sat in a new, fourth seat beside Sora. It had been interesting that this Gummi Ship had four seats instead of the usual three-seater Gummi Ship Sora had grown used to on his last journey to save all the worlds.

"Start it," Minato ordered calmly. He had ripped off his mask prior to calling out to his trio of companions. It had hurt. A lot. However, he had been growing close to the time limit. Luckily, as a Shadow, he seemed to be healing rather quickly. His wound no longer even hurt.

The Gummi ship began to take off and the familiar map appeared before them. Minato let loose a sigh of relief. He'd been in a sticky situation back there. The Reaper and Nixatom were more powerful than he was. He was lucky his inhuman body allowed him to move faster than a normal body or else he would be dead six ways to Sunday. And apparently Nixatom had half of their heart. That meant that Minato had to get more max Social Links for the other half in order to match him... But that was boring. He could come up with a plan.

Like kicking Nixatom in the balls.

No, that wouldn't work.

Since Nixatom was his Nobody, then that meant that those were his_ balls _he'd be kicking.

Damn.

Bombs?

Suddenly, explosions rocked the air around them. The ship began to shake wildly. Minato held on tightly to his seat. He saw who the cause of the explosions was out the side of the cockpit. _'The Reaper!'_ It was firing all it could to ground them. Fire, ice, lightning, even wind surrounded its bullets. Luckily, they were far enough away that it was hard to get a good shot off on them.

"We're under fire!" Donald exclaimed in his unfitting voice. Seriously. Words and voice just do not match in this situation.

"I choose that world! Now go!" Minato ordered as he pointed at it. They couldn't hesitate or else they would die. The ship took off at lightning speed, but not before a major explosion shook the ship. The lights inside the Gummi Ship turned red. Deafening alarms started going off. Minato looked out the window to see a trail of smoke following them on the left side. Crap.

An image of the chipmunks running the engine room, Chip and Dale, appeared on the screen. They were panicked.

"The left wing is severely damaged! We need to find a place to land pronto!" They shouted. Minato grit his teeth as his grip on his chair grew tighter.

"We gotta fix it!" Goofy exclaimed.

"We can't go back! We'll die!" Donald shouted.

"What do we do, Minato?!" Sora asked, panicked.

Minato stood and shouted, "Go forward, you idiots! We'll make it!"

"But the next worlds are too far away..." Donald was saying, as his eyes grew wet. Geez, what a drama queen.

"Shut up and drive! We'll make it!" Minato was yelling. The loud alarm was not helping the situation.

The Gummi Ship managed to stay airborne for a while. They began to fly to the next world, fearing each moment would be their last. However, when they were getting close to the next world something bad happened...

The chipmunks appeared on-screen.

"Hey guys? You know that hole in the wing? Well... it was also leaking out fuel."

Minato could only process one word, one simple expression as the ship began to plummet, as the cockpit broke open from the machinery flying around on the inside, as he and everybody else was forcibly dragged out into the open air of the world when their seatbelts failed due to an electrical outage, and as he was flung out alone into the next world.

_'FUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-'_

Welcome... to The Land of Dragons.

* * *

Aigis was in a lab. And she felt extremely popular. Upon entering this world, she had met a few interesting ASWs like herself, though they called themselves reploids, named X and Zero. She rather liked them, despite the fact that they looked at her oddly when she asked what their Personae were. However, she did not like that boy named Axel. He seemed rather too fond of her. There was only one man for her. Now, in the lab, she had given them some rather important information about how she functions. In return, they bestowed a few upgrades upon her.

One was an ancient old thing to them, but fairly advanced to her. It was an imitation of a device known as a 'Mega Buster' that they painstakingly customized for her own use. Her arm looked pretty much the same, but now her right arm could turn into a form of a plasma cannon. It even came with a charge capability. They were very advanced in this age (although not knowing about what Personae were set them back a little). Needless to say, Aigis was loving the amount of beings like her in this world. She felt like she could live there comfortably with Minato. Maybe she could make him part electronic as well! She knew how he loved to listen to his music, so she could get him the ability to always listen to his music. Oh, how he'd love it! She had daydreams about the two of them both being machines. Then they would never have to part from old age, sickness, or anything!

Ahem... The second upgrade was a set of armor she could equip at any time. She was very thankful to these kind people.

"Goodbye, X. Goodbye, Zero. I wish you luck on your hunting of the Mavericks. I can never thank you enough for what you have done," She said as she bowed. Zero averted his gaze shyly. He was always so quiet around her. X smiled brightly.

"Don't worry about it! I hope you can find your 'beloved' soon, Aigis!" X had reassured her as she waved goodbye. Zero didn't say anything. The reploid was shy, in Aigis' opinion. Or just very bad at saying goodbye. Aigis briefly wondered if there was ever anything in his past to cause that.

Axel, on the other hand, didn't want to let her go. She merely gave him a nod of acknowledgement as she stepped through the Velvet Gate.

She still had to find Minato.

* * *

A/N: Longest chapter yet. 8,000 words... sheesh. Anyway, Aigis went to the Megaman X world. Because I like Megaman X. I mean, just look at my username. Zero and X are both in it. :D

Also, I bet nobody was expecting them to **crash** in The Land of Dragons. It should make for some interesting plot developments. Can't think of anything else right now other than I hoped you liked the conclusion of the Chariot Arc. Yuffie... is going to be a bit angry she never got the final goodbye in.

**Notice**!: Poll on my profile for last new Persona crossover for the year! Please vote for your fav!

**REVIEW REPLY!:**

**Venas:** Nixatom knows he's a player. And became an ass because of it. Minato... doesn't know the full extent of his being a player. :) One Piece world will probably be next time. :) And Minato loves them bombs.

**Mzr90:** Fullmetal Alchemist and Rosario series... There could be funny interactions there. Gundam series I would do, but I know next to nothing about Gundam. I watched it years ago. Also, I'm pretty sure you and everyone else knew it was going to be used in the Heartless Invasion... or is it? Do I have some devious other plan for it? You shall see! Muahahahahahaha!

**DemonRaily: **The whole Zexion/Nixatom/Nobody stuff is _way_ more complicated than it seems. This chapter will help to confuse you. And Nixatom has his full half of the heart already. Minato needs to defeat him or do... something else to get the other half back. And he will get harem just not twenty soulmates. He'll get people who like him more than friends. He has options. Also, Hercules will not be fighting Nyx. I have something more complicated planned.

**HellPwnage1337:** High School DxD? But Issei would... Aigis... NOOOOO! *brain explodes* Also, P4 style faceoff may happen later on, when Minato has more of the newly dubbed 'Heart Fragments'. And you completely guessed an important plot point I was going to have with Aigis... :(

**KaitoHayashi815:** I'll be doing an SMT game soon. I'm trying to alternate it between show and game. And Kingdom Hearts only does Disney movies, not shows. So no Motorcity or Randy Cunningham...

**roughstar333: **Nixatom is partially explained in this chapter. Aerith appears in this chapter :)

Umm, I have a lot of reviews... SPEED REPLY!

**AeroSylph: :D Thank you!**

**devut heretic: Umm, well she just charged in the Mega Man world and she has a return portal to go back home and that's how shes going to bring back Minato, but he can't go back until his Journey is over.**

**Vox12349: Gurren Lagann is awesome!**

**Yuuji Narukami: ITS FREAKING BIG!**

**Vandenbz: Actually Namine is sort of kind of in that category though we haven't seen her except in one chapter, but she may be coming up soon. And Elizabeth but we haven't seen her much either.**

**Wyxlan Lonestar: PERSONA! Used here! I love new readers :) Final Fantasy is a good idea :)**

**SuperNova23: Went with Megaman X, hope you don't mind. Devil Survivor will be later, hopefully. **

**MrHaziq: Nixatom can be read as Nix-atom (atem) or Nixa-tom so it really depends on the pronunciation. His name has meaning and reason for being the way it is.**

**THAT'S IT!**

**Question of the chapter: **Who do you think Minato will first meet in The Land of Dragons?

REVIEW, FAVORITE AND FOLLOW. Pretty please with... A BOMB ON TOP?!

**BOOOM!**


	6. The Tower Part 1

**Chapter 6: The Tower Part 1**

* * *

_"In exchange for power, you can no longer look away from the things you don't want to see." — Yukari Takeba_

* * *

"Is he dead?" A masculine voice asked. It was eerily familiar, but Minato couldn't place where it came from in his memory.

"There's no way. He's just sleeping, that's all." A soft, feminine voice replied. It was very close to Minato. Above him too. He tried to move his arms and legs, but found that nothing was responding. In fact, he couldn't feel anything below the neck. Was he paralyzed? He kept his eyes closed to hear what else these people might say. Soft fingers gently caressed his face. _'A girl?'_ He noticed another soft hand was on the side of his head. Why was his head being held?

"Look, I don't think your definition of sleeping and my definition of sleeping are the same. How the hell could he still be alive? Look at him!" The masculine voice shouted.

"...It's not that bad." Another voice joined in. It was slow and quiet, yet deep. It was a voice like a river.

"Not that bad?! Look at him, he-"

"Hello? I'm right here. And I'm fairly certain I'm not dead." Minato said as he opened his eyes. Black-robed figures were before him. _'Organization XIII? No, they feel different.'_ Minato could for some reason tell these people weren't enemies. Why? He wasn't dead. That was reason enough. One of the figures had bright red hair that shot out behind him, like a lion's mane. He had two tattoos in the form of teardrops, one under each eye. His expression was one of wide-eyed shock as he pointed his finger at Minato accusingly. The other had his hood up, like the other members of Organization XIII that Minato had encountered in his past. Minato turned his eyes upward. There was a girl dressed in white with blond hair. She wasn't much younger than him, from the looks of it. And she was what Minato would classify as "pretty" if he was forced to. However...

"Where's my body?" Minato asked.

Why did he ask that?

Well...

He didn't see it anywhere. No torso, legs, or arms. He was just a head.

What.

The.

Hell.

The girl, who Minato realized was now holding his disembodied head, raised him to eye level.

"I'm sorry. When you hit the ground, your body was completely destroyed by the impact. A normal human would have been turned into a red stain on the ground from the impact. Luckily, you aren't human. You're like a scarecrow." She said with a smile on her face. This girl was glad he was alive. That gave Minato shivers up his now nonexistent spine. Who was this girl? Did he know her in the past? Was he related to these guys as well in some way? Also...

Did she just call him a scarecrow? Should he be angry about that?

"What about my friends? They should have fallen with me." He said (How was he talking without lungs and vocal chords?). Sora and others had to come first in this situation. They might not have been so lucky. And if these people seemed to know about him (there was no way their meeting was purely coincidence), they might know about his companions.

The red-haired man laughed. "Unlike you, they've fallen from great heights before. In fact, heights seem to be the one thing that can't kill a Keyblade wielder. And if you also take into account the duck's magic skills and the dog thing's unbelievable durability, then they were in no danger at all. You, on the other hand, lack a human body. Apparently, you have no bones, muscles, or even an actual body to call your own. You're a formless creature that just changes to fit the memory of what it remembers it used to look like. Your body is barely keeping itself together at the best of times." _'These guys do know us after all. They knew about Sora being a Keyblade wielder and, judging from his words, they knew I was the one they had to go check on... And that was some interesting info about myself. Well, at least I'm durable enough to take a shot from the Reaper. I might get better put together with the more of my heart I retrieve. But why are these guys on my side? What do they want from me?' _Minato pondered.

"Don't worry. You'll regenerate the rest of your body in time. That's one of the benefits of being a non-human." The girl assured him. Minato cocked an eyebrow.

"Who are you people? Why are you helping me?" He asked, still wary of their intentions.

"Finally, we can get the introductions going! Look here, football. I'm Axel. That little lady holding your remains is Naminé. The brooding guy in the corner with his hood up doesn't want anybody to know his name. He's just along for the ride. Wanted to meet ya' and whatnot. Just call him... Land. Got it memorized?" The red-haired man, Axel, said as he tapped his temple. He was a lively fellow. But still... He called Minato a football.

"I'm going to beat you like a red-headed step-child when I get my arms back. Just feel that needs mentioning." Minato said with a deadly serious expression on his face. Naminé lightly slapped his face and gave him a disapproving look. _'It appears this girl doesn't take to kindly to threats to her friends. I should apologize. Otherwise she'll drop me.'_ Thought Minato.

"Sorry." He whispered, loud enough for only her to hear. She smiled approvingly. Good. He was in her good graces again. So no head-dropping today. That was good news.

"So what now?" He asked loudly, hoping to move the "plot" of his life along.

"Well, we might plant you with a person of significant importance in this world and you can continue doing what you're doing. Of course, we'd still be watching, but we wouldn't try to interfere. Naminé says you can save those that can't be saved. I don't believe her, but the way she seems to brighten up when she talks about the memories of yours she sa-"

"Be quiet, Axel!" Naminé suddenly exclaimed, her face red. Minato would've tilted his head in confusion if he could.

"What does he mean by tha-"

"Go to sleep!" And the sudden energy Naminé put into him made him quickly lose consciousness.

_'What... the hell did I get into...?'_

* * *

Sora was falling.

It wasn't an unfamiliar feeling.

In fact, he found it to be like an old friend.

However, Minato was being pulled away from the group.

Sora reached out his hand to try to grab Minato, but it was too late. He was too far away.

So they were separated.

Sora could only focus on landing safely for now. There was no way the fall would kill Minato. There's no way he'd go out without a bang.

_'I guess this is what Yen Sid said when he talked about our journeys being different.'_

Who knows? Minato might just go on his own adventure now.

When Sora landed, he'd meet an old friend who was a small dragon and a person named Ping who wanted to be in the army. Thus, he would continue his adventure while Chip and Dale (who, remarkably, survived) fixed the Gummi Ship.

* * *

Minato was in a chair... in the Velvet Room, the room made of doors with only keyholes... with that same weird lady.

Not as strange as he expected.

"Sup," Minato said casually. What else could he really say? In the dream world he had his body back and he was certain that this girl, like everyone else apparently, was stalking him. He could try to call her out on it, but then he would get into an argument and it would just be troublesome. He'd just take this time to rest and listen to the relaxing music playing in this room.

"Hello. I see you are using the slang to ask how I am. That is quite kind of you. I am fine. However, you seem to be..." The lady giggled before continuing,"Losing your **head**."

Minato looked at her coldly. The head puns were plentiful, yes, but did she really have to? Did she really call him here for that? He cleared his throat before responding.

"Losing it? No, my dear lady, I have not lost anything. In fact, I use my **head**... Unlike some people." He replied with a smirk.

"Ah, well that's one way to get a**head** in life." The lady giddily retorted. Minato grinned predatorily. So it was war she wanted? So be it.

"Exactly. However, one must always make sure to be **head**ed in the right direction."

"That's right. You don't want to get lost in the wrong **neck** of the woods."

"Don't worry. I have no**body** to lead me astray."

"Pfff! Hahahahaha!" The two suddenly burst out laughing. What was he even doing? Minato didn't even know anymore. Part of him didn't want to.

"We're going to hell for these puns, aren't we?"

"Hell is quite nice this time of year. We can see it as a vacation. After all, I'm fairly certain neither of us is able to die or even have our souls judged. You are a Shadow and I am... me." The way she ambiguously ended it made Minato curious, but he decided not to question it. This lady was already weird enough as it was.

"Who even are you? How do we know each other?" A deep melancholy pass over her face when he asked that, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

"I guess I can tell you... My name is Elizabeth. You know me... or, you did. A lot has happened. You still need to remember the rest on your own. It is your life, after all. You need to remember your heroic deeds, your bonds... and your sins. There are many of all three. I'm sure you're wondering why I called you here. The reason I called you here was..." She tapped her index finger against her chin in a cute thinking position until she seemed to give. "I don't know. Do I really need a reason to see you?"

Minato shrugged. "No. I guess you don't. Although... having one is polite." The name Elizabeth didn't strike anything particular in him. Most likely because he didn't have that part of his heart recovered yet. This girl, however, was completely unlike Yuffie. That was enough to get her in his good books.

"Then how about this: I wished to check on you. Is that acceptable?"

"Yeah. So how am I?" He said with a sly smirk. Elizabeth smiled back.

"Well, you aren't a No**body**, at least. In fact, by now your body should have fully regenerated during our conversation. Or you at least have some**body** to help you."_  
_

Minato strangely felt like she was deriving more pleasure from this whole "head" thing than she should. It irritated him.

"Really? I'm healed? Just like that?" Minato was glad this ordeal of being just a head was over with, no matter how short it was. He really, really hated being helpless.

Elizabeth chuckled.

"Maybe."

Damn. The girl was annoying. He was hoping for the opposite, but... no luck. Well, she wasn't that bad. Just mischievous. He had a feeling they could be friends. Minato stood up and walked over to the wall.

"See you later, Lizzie. I'm bored of this place." He waved tiredly as he bashed his head against the wall as hard as he could.

Luckily, the sudden rush of pain woke him up. It would've sucked if it didn't.

Elizabeth was left alone. She sighed wearily as she placed her chin on her fist.

Again.

She was always alone in the end. It wasn't her fault. She did not seek the solitude bestowed upon her. There was truly only one person she could blame for it. Only one person who could atone for his sins against her and... Igor. That person was the one she loved and hated the most. That person couldn't even remember the great evil he had done. The people he had killed.

Half of that person had just left the Velvet Room.

Elizabeth didn't know what she felt towards Minato Arisato, but to be able to laugh in his presence... to enjoy life if only for a few moments... it made her almost forget that person. However, until her job was done she could not stand to ever forget that person. He and his deeds was forever burned in her memory.

The person, no, the monster known as Makoto Yuki.

* * *

Sora fought Heartless. He tried what Minato told him. To "use" the environment. He slammed a Heartless' head into a tree, obliterating it completely. He tried punching the Heartless that came up behind him, but his punches did nothing. He'd have to begin working out when he returned to the army camp where Ping was waiting. If he could swing his Keyblade with more power and punch, then he'd be a far more able fighter.

Goofy and Donald fought their share of enemies without the Keyblade. If Sora could be able to do the same, then the Keyblade would stop being the source of his power and instead be a supplement. Who knows how strong he'd get? Organization XIII would fall to him. Then he could return home and live with Riku and Kairi. Everything could go back to be normal.

It turned out that all Sora needed to become stronger was nothing more but a different perspective.

As he slashed down the final Heartless with his Keyblade, he looked towards the sky.

"'A battle is not a fair or fancy duel. If you're putting your life on the line, then you should fight as hard as you can.' I guess you were right, Minato. What point is there if I don't try my hardest?" Sora said with a large grin.

He could do with a more pragmatic grasp on life.

* * *

Minato drowsily opened his eyes. Could he stay conscious for at least ten minutes? Would that be too much to ask? His blurry vision cleared to show a a ceiling made of some sort of cloth. Where was he now? He looked around to take in his surroundings. He was in a tent. It even had furniture such as a night stand... Wait. He was on a bed. There was fur covering the floor to keep it warm. In fact, furs seemed to be the major decoration of this tent. Sunlight filtered in from the opening of the tent. Why was there furniture in a tent?

Where the hell did he go?

A large man entered in the tent, carrying a plate of food. He was dressed in furry pelts and was balding, but had grown out his black hair long in the back. He had a muscular physique and a precise mustache that went down to his chin on either side of his mouth. Minato sat up slowly. The man took the plate of food and placed it on the night stand next to Minato's bed. He grabbed a chair and pulled it over to the bedside and sat down. Minato then noticed something. The man had yellow eyes like him.

"Who... Who are you? How long have I been asleep?" Minato asked. The man sighed and dropped his head into his hands. He stayed like that for a moment before bringing is head back up to face Minato.

"I knew it was too good to be true. You don't even remember me. They must have put you through some horrible things. Bad enough that you slept for two days straight. Either way, I'll take care of you... son."

What?

"I'm not your son. My father is dead." Minato said plainly. He hated misunderstandings. It was fortunate that he had the memory of his parents. If he didn't have that, he might have believed the mistaken man. The man reached over and gave Minato a bear-crushing hug.

_'Can't... breathe... worse... this world is worse than... Yuffie...'_ Next time Minato saw Yuffie, he'd apologize to her. There were people more annoying than her. In a spine-crushing, ignorant, idiotic way.

"I'm alive, Attila. I'm right here. I am Shan Yu, your father." He let go of Minato, but kept a hand on his shoulder. "I named you Attila at your mother's suggestion. Your mother passed away giving birth to you. I was the one who raised you, son! We used to hunt and fight together! All the glorious battles! But then... We were separated on the battlefield. I thought I had lost you to those Chinese scum. I would have never recognized you out in the wild if it weren't for your golden eyes. It is the mark of our clan. They tried so hard to hide you from me. Look at what they've done to your hair... Blue is not the color of a warrior! How dare they dishonor my son's appearance?!" He roared out into the air.

_'Well... How rude. I hate this guy already.'_

Minato felt offended. He liked his hair. Blue was a pretty cool color. Made him stand out in a crowd. Shan Yu stood up.

"Shan Y-" Minato began.

"Call me Father."

_'No way in hell you crazy bastard!'_ Was what Minato wanted to say, but he had no idea where he was and needed to find Sora, Donald and Goofy in order to leave the world.

"Yes... Father. Anyway, where are we currently?"

_'Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Tower Arcana.'_

Shit.

There was no backing out now.

"We are in China, my boy, preparing for battle against them. Not that we need much. The Huns will never lose against pond scum like them." He said arrogantly.

A voice from outside called for Shan Yu. Shan Yu sighed and spoke with regret in his voice.

"I can't stay and talk with you, no matter how much I want. I've left your sword and armor in the chest. They were just delivered for you. Make sure to eat up that meat as well. It is from a bear I killed with my own two hands. When you are ready, come seek me out. We will go through a few rounds of sparring to make sure you if are as sharp as ever. If you are ready in time, you'll get to exact your revenge in the slaughter of the ants that stand in our way. I know you can't wait for it." Shan Yu excused himself from the tent.

Minato got out of bed and peered out the tent flap. There were many mean-looking soldiers dressed in furs all wielding weapons outside. Some were fighting, others were drinking, and most of them were doing some sort of training. There must have been at least a hundred right outside the tent flap. He was in an army camp. Given how well furnished the tent was, Shan Yu must either be an officer or the leader of the army itself. Minato turned his attention to the surroundings. The ground was covered in snow. Huge mountains flanked the camp. They were at a high altitude, that much was for sure. Minato stepped back from the tent fold and wandered over to the nightstand. He picked up his plate and sat down on his bed. He jabbed the meat with a knife that had been left for him and began to eat. He had no fork or anything so he just ate it off the knife.

Minato considered his options.

1.) Put on his mask and kill the crazy army that surrounds him.

...Why was that his first thought?

2.) Stick with the army until he finds Sora. Knowing the kind-hearted kid, he will try to stop the invasion or the war as much as he can. There's no way Sora would side with any invasion. Minato could meet up with Sora then.

Ah. That worked.

3.) Leave silently, never to return.

No fun. 2 was better.

4.) Bombs?

Tempting... But not permanent. Number 2 was still better. Go back to number 2.

2.) Stick with the army until he finds Sora. Knowing the kind-hearted kid, he will try to stop the invasion or the war as much as he can. There's no way Sora would side with any invasion. Minato could meet up with Sora then.

Yes.

"Well, I guess I'm going number two."

...

...

...

Minato facepalmed. He really needed to think before he spoke to himself.

Minato stood and walked over to the chest.

He began to lift up the lid.

"Dunununununununun..." He took out the sword in there and held it above his head.

"Dun dun dun duuun!" He said, imitating the catchy theme for obtaining an item in Legend of Zelda. He had played that as a child. It was good to have memories.

Minato shook his head.

"What am I even doing? Yuffie must have rubbed off on me."

He examined the sword. It was a long, double-edged, black sword. It was about four feet in length and had a plain black hilt and pommel. There was nothing particularly spectacular about the sword, but it felt **powerful**. And evil. Definitely evil. He felt his skin crawl just by touching it. Yet, for some reason, he never wanted to let go of this sword. Minato turned the sword over in his hand. He could see his reflection in the blade. Testing to see how the blade cut, Minato swung the sword a couple of times, smiling as it cut the air easily. It was a pretty well-made evil sword. He turned his attention to the rest of the contents. There was a note in there on top of what he presumed to be armor. He picked it out and opened it.

_"We decided it would be best to drop you off here. It turns out that you had an uncanny resemblance with this man's dead son. Don't ask how we found that out. Not even I know. Axel works in mysterious and wonderful ways. This sword is something from your past that you made. I recovered it for you. It is "The Second Sin". That's the closest thing to a name I could find on it. Don't worry about what you did with this sword in the past or how you made it. You wouldn't like the answer. You don't want to know the price for this power. The armor was something I picked out. I don't want you to fall apart again, Scarecrow. I tried to choose something stylish. Boys like black, right? That's what all the guys (and even girls) in Organization XIII wore. They must've really liked it._

_Remember, we're watching. _

_~Naminé"_

Minato put the note in his pants pocket. He had a lot to think about with what Naminé said in that letter.

He got the strange feeling Naminé liked him. And, to be honest, the girl was awesome. Any girl that gives Minato weapons and armor is great in his book.

He felt a faint bond forming between the two of them.

_'Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Priestess Arcana.'_

Wait. It works LONG range? Why the hell didn't anybody tell him that before?! He could have... Oh, never mind. Maybe it just worked because she already felt something towards him. Him recognizing her and beginning to like her could have been what advanced the link... Then... did that mean he liked Yuffie?

Did he?

Well... Ye-

Minato slammed his fist against his head to break off his train of thought.

He pulled out the armor. There was a black leather cuirass with a steel plating on the front, black pants, thick black boots, black leather vambraces, and a black cloak lined with white fur.

Nice.

He'd look badass. The thick clothing wasn't really needed, though. Minato didn't get cold. It was part of not being human.

He began to change out of his old clothes... that somehow had grown back with his body. Huh. That was weird. Once he pulled off his shirt, he dropped it. It dissipated into nothingness. Well, that was cool.

* * *

Minato stood his ground against his opponent.

It was his self-proclaimed "father", Shan Yu who faced him. The army had cleared out of the area, clearly not wanting to get involved in the affair.

Minato held his sword aloft, ready to strike. Shan Yu held up his fist.

"Practice first."

Countless Heartless formed around Minato, swirling around to entrap him in an arena of Heartless. The Heartless surrounding him were small and tiny, like little birds. Then a whole bunch of random Heartless, including the tiny, bird-like ones, appeared in the center in order to attack him.

Minato charged in. He first sliced cleanly through two of the small ones. As he did, he noticed the black ichor of the Heartless didn't fall onto the ground. No, the Heartless' blood seemed to stick to his sword, become one with it, **strengthen **it. This sword was evil alright.

"The hell is this?!" Minato exclaimed as he looked at his sword, The Second Sin, in shock. Then his shocked expression slowly formed into a grin. It was an evil sword, but that's exactly what Minato needed.

"Oh, well. Looks like killing Heartless nets me more than just cash now. Bring it on, bitches. I'll steal your power and make it my own."

Minato rushed towards them once again and grabbed a Heartless that looked like a bat with a hook for a tail with his free hand. He slammed the "Hook Bat" into the head of a Heartless that leapt at him from the left as he swiped his sword across his right side, cutting three Heartless in half horizontally. As their upper halves fell, the black ichor streamed into The Second Sin seamlessly. A Heartless then decided to jump him from the front. Minato brought his sword back to his body before thrusting forward, effectively killing the Heartless in a single move. He then quickly spin-kicked behind him to hit a Heartless that had been sneaking up on him before driving his sword into its head. Then a large group of Heartless decided to attack him from all sides. He waited for them to approach within attacking range before taking action. Minato jumped into the air as high as he could, his inhuman legs pushing him beyond normal human limits. He quickly pulled two items out of his internal Inventory. In his left hand appeared a simple sword and directly in front of him, in midair with him, was a small bomb he had made at Hollow Bastion. He smashed his two swords together, the impact strong enough to cause a spark which lit the short fuse of the bomb. He looked down at the Heartless gathered below him.

Some small part of him excitedly asked the question it always did: Bombs?

This time he could answer confidently.

"Bombs!"

Minato flipped in midair to kick the bomb down into the group of Heartless.

BOOM!

He landed in the center of the blast site, the Heartless left as nothing more than puddles of ichor. The Heartless' ichor still streamed into his sword. Apparently, it didn't matter how he killed them so long as he did kill them. Interesting. Minato did wonder how he knew how to fight so well. It was really instinctive, actually. He felt as if he had practiced for many, many years. His memories of when he first came to this universe were so foggy he could barely remember anything more than general details. He put his extra sword back into his internal Inventory.

Shan Yu smiled sinisterly from outside the arena.

This was unexpected, but welcome. He was glad to see his son was actually stronger than before.

However, his son was not yet done.

The remaining Heartless that formed the arena started to come together to form a new Heartless.

Minato stared at the Heartless that was forming in front of him. It was a large, black centaur-like being with blood red hooves, an armored, bluish chest-plate and red cape and pauldrons and a steel helmet under which two beady golden eyes peered. It held a large spear in it's thick, sinewy, black arm. The Heartless began to smack its hooves against the ground, like a bull about to charge. Minato held The Second Sin at the ready.

This would be fun.

The Heartless charged at him with its spear aimed at Minato's heart. Minato swayed forward as if he was going to fall before catching himself in a lower stance and holding his sword to his right with one hand on the hilt and another on the blade. He deflected the spear to the right as the Heartless barreled past him. Minato then turned and sprinted towards the Heartless. It was his turn. The Heartless turned around quickly and jabbed its spear directly towards Minato. Minato continued to rush forward, only moving slightly to the left. The spear cleaved cleanly through his left arm, severing it at the shoulder. As his severed arm hit the ground, Minato jumped up onto the Heartless' horse-like back. It began to buck wildly. Minato jabbed his sword into the Heartless' back in order to keep himself from falling. He grabbed the Heartless' flowing cape with his teeth and removed his sword, now holding onto the Heartless with only his teeth. He was flung around with the cape wildly, unable to tell which way was up and which way was down.

Minato just swung his sword in front of him as he was flying around, barely holding onto the cape.

The Heartless stopped moving as its head was severed from its body and went flying into the air.

Minato let go and dropped onto the snow as the head of the Heartless spinned in the air above him, dropping black ichor everywhere.

He now understood why Organization XIII wore black, why Naminé had chosen black for his clothing.

Killing large amounts of Heartless would dye anybody's clothes black with the ichor. How Sora, Donald, and Goofy stayed clean, Minato would never know.

The ichor then streamed into The Second Sin, but, oddly enough, it was not absorbed by his sword. Rather, it seemed to flow through the sword and into his hand. Then it went up his forearm, bicep, his right shoulder, past his spine, and then finally into his left shoulder. Ichor spiraled from the wounded, armless, shoulder. The spiraling ichor took the shape of black bones as more and more ichor came, putting black muscles and veins over the bones. Finally, a black layer of skin emerged over the entirety of it before losing its black color and fading to Minato's normal skin color.

He had just regrown his arm immediately.

He _liked_ his evil sword.

He heard the sound of applause from the side. Minato turned his head to look.

Shan Yu was there, smiling proudly.

"Well done. I expected no less of my son. I must admit your techniques are strange and oftentimes unrecognizable, but you must have obtained knowledge after you escaped the vermin. Knowledge enough of our clan's secrets to use the powers of the Heartless for your own. Attila, you've reached a level I never would have imagined. Now, it's time for some father-son bonding."

Shan Yu laughed evilly as he cracked his knuckles. He pulled out his sword. It was a long, wicked looking sword that seemed serpent-like. The steel itself fluctuated.

Minato drew his sword.

He had a feeling this wouldn't be fun.

* * *

**3 Hours of Not Having Fun Later**

* * *

Minato collapsed to the ground, exhausted.

Shan Yu was a master swordsman.

Shan Yu collapsed to the ground as well.

Minato was a master swordsman as well.

_'Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Tower Arcana.'_

"Son... I'm proud of you." Shan Yu's tired voice filled the empty air.

"...Thanks... I guess." Minato responded quietly. His _real_ father had never said that to him. His actual father had always been so busy with work that he often ignored Minato. When they did bond, his father still thought of work. Minato's father had been a cryogenist, along with his mother. Both his parents were often absent from home, working on their research. His family had been great and Minato loved them... But his father never once said that once. Minato had always his second priority.

"You're... strong. I feel... as if the future of our clan... is secure as long as you are around..." Minato felt a twinge of guilt. He wouldn't be around to inherit anything. As much as he wanted to keep up the lie for the sake of convenience, he had a conscience too._  
_

"I'm not inheriting anything. I'm not your son. I'm not Attila," Minato said plainly. Shan Yu laughed.

"I'm not blind, boy. After fighting you for so long, I understand. You are not the son I once knew..."

_'Well, that makes things easier.' _Minato internally sighed in relief. Well, he was expecting a worse reaction. He was so glad tha-

"You're better," Shan Yu finished. He stood to his feet and walked over to Minato, who was still lying on the snow.

"Excuse me?!" Minato exclaimed incredulously.

"I want you as my new son, my heir. You're powerful enough and a close-enough look-alike to pass for it. I don't know your past, but I can guarantee your future. What do you say? Will you join me?" Shan Yu extended his hand.

_'This is why I hate Social Links.'_ Minato internally groaned before grabbing Shan Yu's hand. Shan Yu pulled him up effortlessly.

"Fine. I'll join you..." _'For now.'_ Minato almost finished before stopping himself. He knew there was no way he could stay and be Shan Yu's heir. But, the least he could do was work with Shan Yu until the Social Link maxed out. Then he could either straight-up leave and never come back, or convince Shan Yu he didn't want to be the heir.

The first way seemed easy enough. Although, he didn't exactly want to go about that way. Shan Yu may be some crazy army leader (he'd finally identified Shan Yu's role in the army during their fight), but he wasn't exactly a 'bad' guy. He was a warrior seeking a fight. Minato felt as if a bit of kinship had been established between the two of them. They were both warriors in a way. However, while Shan Yu sought the fight, the fight sought Minato. Shan Yu was smart too. Cocky, but smart. It showed in Shan Yu's fighting style. Minato respected that.

_'Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Tower Arcana.'_

This link was moving oddly fast, as if there wasn't a lot of time left to complete it. Minato had the feeling the last two rank ups would be the most important... the type that could change the fate of one's life.

"Good. Tomorrow we're finishing our journey through the mountain pass. To think that some of my men said it would be foolish to try to enter from this passage. The Chinese are weaker than us. We're helping them out by ending them quicker. Once we exit the pass, the capital of China will be visible to us. We'll take the emperor's head together."

Kill the emperor of China?

...Well, this would be interesting. Certainly makes his link a life-changer. Minato was glad this wasn't his world. He doubted that China would be so easy to march into in his world. He remembered that much, at least.

* * *

**Hollow Bastion**

* * *

"Did Minato just straight-up leave?" Yuffie asked the group of her friends. They all shrugged.

"I guess so," Cid said from his place at the computer. Yuffie flung her hands into the air.

"UUUUGH! I wanted to see him one last time to say goodbye! Minato, you idiot, I won't forgive you for this!" Yuffie shouted into the air.

"Quiet down. Just go find him if you already miss him. There shouldn't be too many possible worlds he could have gone to. You can use Cid's Gummi Ship he built. You know, the one we used to get to Hollow Bastion?" Leon said as he pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. Yuffie smiled brightly. She turned her bright-smiling head to Cid.

"Please?"

"No way," He denied her plainly.

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeease?"

"No," He replied once more.

"Pretty please with a copy of the new edition of _Bombs and Planes Weekly_ on top?"

Cid's eyebrow twitched, unable to stay still at the thought of getting the new edition. He had been so busy with all his projects going on that he hadn't been keeping up to date on the issues. This new edition was supposed to be a must read. There was apparently a new, efficient way to mix the sulfur and potassium nitrate in gunpowder in order to produce better weapons. Everybody was talking about it!_  
_

"F...F...FINE! Take the damned thing! If it comes back with so much as a single scratch, I'll make sure to make you pay for it!" Cid shouted as he spun around his chair, stood up and threw the keys into her open hands as he quickly snatched the issue of _Bombs and Planes Weekly_ Yuffie had been holding in her hands.

"Yay! Minato Arisato, I'm coming for you!" She exclaimed happily as she ran out the door.

Aerith shook her head slowly.

"Young love... It makes us do the craziest things."

* * *

**Aigis' Search: Part 6**

* * *

"I'll miss you, Aigis. You were SUUUUPEEER!" Exclaimed the tall, mechanical man known as Franky.

Aigis waved goodbye to all the crew members of the pirate ship she was on. This world defied all logic. Fruits, the means by which plants disseminate seeds, allowed major biological changes on an atomic level that can change a man's body to rubber and give him immense power, yet also render him weak in water. The fruits could also lead to people turning into smoke, immortality, animals speaking (not that it changed much for Aigis), and people being able to sprout multiple versions of their body parts anywhere. Truly this was a world she would like to show Minato. He must see it for himself and perhaps try one of these "Devil-Fruits". Minato didn't need to swim. He'd be really happy to get a superpower from food.

"Goodbye awesome robot lady!" Usopp, Luffy, and Chopper all said goodbye with fat tears in their eyes. They had grown attached to her and her "super cool robot parts".

Nami placed a hand on Aigis' shoulder. "Now don't let that guy get away. When you find him, smack him one for me. I can't believe he's making such a cute girl look everywhere for him."

"Aigis-chaaaan! If that bastard dumps you, I'll make sure to take care of you~!" Sanji exclaimed with large hearts in is eyes. He was punched in the head by the green-clad Zoro.

"Shut up, you idiot! She loves the guy! Are you really going to stoop that low?!" Zoro shouted. Sanji rubbed his head and stood to his feet to look Zoro in the eye.

"What'd you say?! You wanna fight?!"

"Anytime, anywhere!"

The two then were suddenly restrained by a large amount of feminine hands sprouting from their bodies. It was Robin. Robin smiled slyly.

"Don't take no for an answer. When you see him, give him the biggest hug you can. Then don't ever let him leave your side again," said Robin.

Brooke, the living skeleton whose Devil-Fruit had granted him immortality, suddenly was in front of Aigis. He bowed politely.

"I shall miss you, Aigis. May we meet again one day. It is so sad to 'see' you off today."

...

"Oh, wait! I don't have eyes! YOHOHOHOHOHOHO!"

Aigis sweat-dropped. Maybe bringing Minato here wouldn't be such a good idea. She bowed respectfully as she turned to the Velvet Gate.

"I wish you the best of luck in finding the One Piece, Strawhat crew." Aigis turned to leave.

"BYE, AIGIS!" They all exclaimed in a spectacular send-off.

Aigis smiled as she stepped through the gate.

Ninjas may be the pinnacle of humanity, but...

Pirates were fine too.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the late update. Blahblahblah. Doesn't matter. You got it. I have a life too, you know? And with testing coming up in May... I don't think there will be any updates for May. After May, updates should be plentiful, though. Everybody please be happy with this chapter. If not, then be unhappy. I'm not going to tell you how to feel. Thought of doing Mulan link. Really, I did. Then I decided that it would be more interesting to pull something unexpected out of my ass and beat you to death with it. And... it wasn't _that_ unexpected either. I might do a Mulan Link on the return to the Land of Dragons.

We introduce the Second Sin in this chapter. Let it be known:

The First Sin: The Lexicon, according to Nixatom.

The Second Sin: Minato's shiny new sword. Has a strange attachment to Heartless.

Other's in the "Sin" series: Locked.

The Sins are all things related to what happened after Minato was released from the Great Seal and before he became a Heartless.

**REVIEW REPLY TIME (I doubt you remember your review):**

**wilson santoso: **Well... ma~ybe. That's kind of what I had planned, actually. And yes, Yuffie did like him quite fast. She's the Chariot and the Chariot is known for rushing recklessly into things. It's kind of to be expected that it would be fast.

**Wyxlan Lonestar: **The girl Social Links would end... well, it depends on the girl. He could handle a harem. Totally. Been there, done that. Keyblade to the balls = No more kids.

**Guest:** Lol. No, it is not Minatos. ;) This guy here is not related to Minato Arisoto.

**Venas: **Completely agree with you on that whole Heartless vs. Nobodies thing. Chibi Minato bot? Man, that's just... too adorable of Aigis. :)

**DemonRaily:** Just because the Social Link stopped counting doesn't mean they can't get any closer. Social Links just determine the maximum amount of pieces of his heart he can regain from that link. Don't worry. Yuffie will be back. Correction: Nixatom believes in Social Links for power. Minato can't actually get any link rank-ups in this story without himself actually feeling closer to that person. I loved the characters as well and played for their stories, but Nixatom more represents the other side of the coin: the one that uses them for only the power. Crazy transformation *whisper* was something I already have planned *end whisper*. Being human is superior in some ways. One: Complete heart and memories. Two: He doesn't fall apart as easily. Three: Minato feels an intense need to get his heart back at any cost. So much so that he would kill his own friends. That frightens him. More reasons why will be fleshed out in the future. I'm really playing devil's advocate here, though ;)

**Vadenbz:** Thanks for pointing out the errors all the time! I make sure to fix them as soon as I get your review!

**twigggy: **Oh, trust me. He did more than just studying Heartless. His sins will have to be... atoned for somehow in the future.

**AeroSylph:** We got a psychic in here! This person even got the glowing yellow eyes part!

**Bloodwyven9: You can never have too many bombs.**

That's it, folks! If your review didn't get replied to this time around, that's because I have nothing to say except thanks for the support! Maybe next time, okay?

**Question of the Chapter: **Which Disney/KH girls do you want to see Minato hook up with?

**REVIEW, FAVORITE, FOLLOW.** "Pretty please with a copy of the new edition of _Bombs and Planes Weekly_ on top?"


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